Keep Breathing
by Lastande Sarie
Summary: COMPLETE! Please R&R! Caution: Spoilers of HP7! How does George Weasley cope at the end of the series? A good friend from the past returns and George and Julie grow closer, but things won't be easy -they both have a lot to deal with. Can they make it?
1. Chapter 1: The Prologue

I figured I'd better put this in here...DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or anything relating to Harry Potter. I do not know the author or any other people having to do with Harry Potter. I am just a lover of good fiction. I am not writing this for profit, only for fun. I enjoy taking an idea that someone else has started and daydreaming and coming up with my own version of what happened, and thus this fan fic was born/is being born. Whether you enjoy it or hate it, I want to know either way, so please let me know! Okay, I'm done now...on to the story...

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**Prologue**

It was dark. When exactly did the darkness become so intense? When had it become so…well, so dark. It seemed to soak into everything in the shop; not only that but it seemed to emanate out of the shop onto the twilight-lit street. Strangely, passersby didn't seem to notice, only the one standing in the doorway, holding the door open. But, then again, some things had seemed quite a lot more extreme to him lately; the darkness was not the first thing he had noticed. George Weasley sighed and entered the shop on Diagon Alley for the first time since Voldemort had been killed. It was also the first time since his brother's death.

He moved around the shop almost mechanically, looking at the items on the shelves, but not really taking stock. He ran his hand over a shelf that was emptier than others, and didn't even notice the dust even as he wiped it off onto his black robes. For several minutes he did this, never seeming to notice much but rather appearing to be absorbed very deeply in his thoughts.

It had been months. George wasn't sure exactly how many; they all seemed to run together in a blur. All he knew was that people seemed to think that he should have recovered by now, that he should be back to normal. And he tried to be, or at least to act like it, when he was around other people. But he knew he hadn't been very successful. And so, acting as though he were fine and he was ready to get back to life as it had been, but really just wanting to get away from the scrutiny of his family and friends, George returned to the joke shop on Diagon Alley.

He remembered when he and Fred had last closed up the shop, expecting to be away for awhile. The war against Voldemort was intensifying, and they wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. They had packed up some of their more expensive items and put them in boxes protected by spells, but mostly they were in a hurry and just left things as they were. The trash can hadn't even been emptied, and in it there was still a crumpled list in Fred's handwriting of what they needed to put away and what could stay on the shelves. George remembered how Fred had only made the list so they could get the job done faster – he was always eager to get out and do things; what little organizing, thinking, and keeping track of things was done was left up to George.

And just look where Fred's eager impulsiveness had gotten him. George absently raised his hand to the side of his head, where his ear would have been if it had not been sliced off by dark magic. At least that was the worst thing that had happened to him; Fred had been killed.

The realization that Fred was no longer around, would never be around again, suddenly hit George with a force almost physically painful. He sank to the floor, leaning his back against the front counter, and buried his face in his hands. He didn't cry, he hadn't cried, he wouldn't cry – he _refused_ to cry. But sometimes it was hard to cope with the knowledge that his accomplice, his brother, his best friend was gone forever.

A few moments later, George squared his jaw and forced himself to stand. Well, he would just have to keep going without Fred. Even though he felt like a part of himself was gone, like half of himself was missing, that was no excuse. George couldn't joke, couldn't laugh, could hardly smile – but he could breathe, he could walk, and he could reopen the joke shop. It wouldn't be the same; it could never be the same again. But, after all, he was stubborn and would make it on his own.

This decided, he immediately set about cleaning and making the shop decent enough to open the next morning. The work was good, it helped him to push his thoughts away. And in the absence of thoughts came a welcome numbness. He wasn't happy, but at least he didn't feel the perpetual gnawing emptiness, either – or at least, he could ignore it better. He could at least keep breathing.


	2. Chapter 2

_-- Flashback --_

_The wind blew, making Julie shiver even though she was bundled up tightly. The sky had been cloudy and gray for two days straight, and so far this day looked as if it would be the same. Still, not a snowflake had fallen and Julie looked up, wondering when the promised blizzard would finally come. Another gust of wind interrupted her thoughts and she clutched her coat tightly under her chin, and quickened her steps to a brisk trot. After just a few minutes, a dilapidated sign which said "The Leaky Cauldron" told her she had reached her destination. Julie stepped inside hopefully, ready to feel the warmth; the temperature wasn't much different inside the building than out, however, and she frowned._

_"Care for a drink?" Tom, the barkeep, asked as she walked by._

_"Not at the moment, thanks," Julie answered, smiling briefly at him before she made her way out the back door. When she reached the brick wall, she pulled a wand out of her sleeve and tapped it on a specific brick. An archway opened and she stepped through into the once-cheerful Diagon Alley._

_She felt a wave of sadness as she looked around, in her mind's eye seeing the Alley as it once was – bustling and full of people shopping and talking. The atmosphere used to be so relaxed and everyone smiled and spoke to everyone else. These days, however, there were not as many people in the streets and the people who were here all had careworn faces and did not stop to talk to anyone. Some of the shops were closed and boarded up but there were several hastily erected stands lining the road. Julie read one of the closest signs ("Amulets and Charms: Guaranteed protection against Dark wizards and spells of all kinds") and shook her head ruefully as she resumed her walking. Some people would do anything, even scam other people, to earn a Sickle._

_She wearily tucked her chestnut brown hair behind her ear and scanned the shop signs until she found the place she was looking for._

_"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," Julie read the sign out loud, then let her eyes fall to the window display. "U-No-Poo…yeah, this must be it." She couldn't help but chuckle to herself as she entered the shop. There were a few people in the shop, browsing the shelves. Julie scanned the place with her eyes, looking for someone in particular._

_"Well, hello there, miss, how can we help you?" an energetic red-headed young man wearing magenta robes asked as he approached from the back of the shop. "Come to look for a love potion? Or perhaps you'd like a Pygmy Puff – they're on sale."_

_"No, thanks," Julie answered, smiling. "I guess you don't remember me?" She didn't really expect him to; they had only met for a couple moments. But there was still a small twinge of disappointment. She mentally kicked herself, telling herself she was stupid for thinking that he had thought any more of her than just another ally against Voldemort._

_Sure enough, the puzzled look on the young man's face answered her question before his words did. "Remember you? No…sorry."_

_"That's okay, I didn't think you would—"_

_She was abruptly interrupted by another voice calling from an aisle over, "George, where did you put those extra Skiving Snackboxes we had?" Another redhead came around the aisle, identical to the first one. "There's no more on the shelves—Oh! Miss Tucker!"_

_Julie's eyes widened. In an instant she comprehended what was going on and she couldn't help but laughing. "Please, call me Julie. I was just asking your brother whether or not he remembered me."_

_The second redhead laughed appreciatively. "I'm afraid George's memory was never quite as good as mine, especially when he hasn't met the person in question." He winked and Julie's stomach did a quick flip-flop, despite her determination not to let her emotions get involved._

_She had been hearing about the Weasley's for several months now, and especially of Fred and George, brothers who ran the joke shop in Diagon Alley but also did a lot of work for the Order of the Pheonix. Before she had even met them, she admired them. Meeting Fred had only intensified that admiration – he was extremely easy to like, having a friendly and outgoing personality. One thing that Julie hadn't realized was that Fred and George were not only brothers, but identical twins!_

_-- End Flashback --_

The clink of a glass pulled Julie out of her reverie with a jerk. She looked around self-consciously at the others in the Leaky Cauldron, but no one seemed to have noticed that her mind had been wandering off and on for the past hour. In fact, no one seemed to even notice her at all; it appeared that she was invisible in the back corner booth and that was just fine. Julie sipped her Butterbeer – she preferred it to the stronger stuff – and tried to rein in her thoughts.

It seemed like such a long time ago that she had walked into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for the first time. It really wasn't, but it had become such an important part of her life in the time since then that it seemed as if she'd been there forever. She had been working as a spy for the Order of the Pheonix. The Death Eaters all thought that she was a faithful, if somewhat airheaded, follower of her parents' idol Voldemort. Since she'd been in her last year at Hogwarts, it had seemed plausible for her to get a part-time job. So over Christmas break she had gone to the Weasley's store and "applied". This was her way of keeping in touch with the Order without making it obvious that she was spying. It was amazing the things she had learned, simply by being around the Death Eaters. She had never been in Voldemort's inner circle, and had in fact only seen him once outside of a combat situation. Once was more than enough.

"Mr. Weasley, it's a pleasure to see you!"

The bartender's loud exclamation caught Julie's attention instantly. She raised her head and lowered her mug slowly, her eyes scanning the room until she saw the familiar redheaded young man who had just entered the building. Her initial reaction was to smile in welcome, but that changed quickly to a sad frown. George looked so much worse than the last time she had seen him. His hair was almost shoulder-length, and scraggly; he hadn't shaved in a couple of days and his eyes had dark circles under them. Julie could sympathize with how he was feeling, but it was a shock to see George Weasley looking like that.

He made his way to a nearby table and sank into the chair, not raising his eyes to look around him once. Tom scurried over to the table – something he only did for his favorite customers; normally he didn't leave his post at the bar. George apparently ordered something, because a few moments later Tom left and returned with a mug full of liquid. Julie didn't want to be caught staring, but the more she looked over at him, the more she was convinced that George wasn't going to take his eyes off the table.

She sadly looked down at her own almost-empty mug, which she was twirling absentmindedly on the table in front of her, and her thoughts went back to the nights that the three of them had spent in the Leaky Cauldron after work last summer.

_-- Flashback --_

_"Three Butterbeers at this table, Tom! We've had excellent business today!" No sooner had the twins and Julie entered the Leaky Cauldron than those words had left Fred's mouth. He flung his arm over Julie's shoulder, and she hoped he couldn't feel her pulse increase. After six months of knowing the twins, she only liked Fred more and more – of course, he was oblivious._

_The three settled down at a table and waited for their Butterbeers. "Business has been good this summer, eh?" Julie asked. Every day the shop was full. It seemed strange to Julie that it would be in times like this, but apparently the twins were right when they said that everyone was looking for a little relief and laughter._

_"Better than ever, madam, better than ever," George replied, jingling his money bag before tucking it safely in the pocket inside his robes. "And we couldn't do it without you!"_

_"Indeed, without you, m'dear, we'd be floundering like fish out of water," Fred added, accepting his Butterbeer, and then standing. "I'd like to make a toast!" he said loudly, including everyone in the tavern. He held up his mug and continued, "A toast, to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and the beautiful maid who keeps us afloat – Julie!"_

_Blushing furiously, Julie hid her face behind her mug, taking too-big gulps as everyone in the place cheered loudly for the Weasley's and her. "Sit down, Fred," she hissed, not even looking at him, "You're embarrassing me to death."_

_With a carefree laugh, Fred obliged. He leaned toward her so she could hear and said, "I'm only trying to show my appreciation!" With a wink, he leaned back and took a gulp of his own Butterbeer._

_"Yes, I can see that," Julie replied after catching her breath, "but did you really have to make a spectacle out of me? Remember, we're not supposed to be drawing attention to me!" But she couldn't help but laugh – they needed these carefree moments to get them through the hard times._

_"Julie, Julie, Julie," George scolded playfully and shook his head. "Anyone would think you weren't used to us by now! Keep our company long enough, and soon _you_ will be drawing attention to _yourself_!"_

_"Yes, well, if you say so," Julie scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder jokingly. Then she grinned mischievously. "Really, though, if you want to show your appreciation, all you need to do is give me a raise!"_

_"Spoken like a true Weasley employee!" George exclaimed as he and Fred burst into laughter._

_-- End Flashback --_

That was one of their first visits to the Leakey Cauldron, but there had been many more that followed. Every time was full of fun, joking, and the same mischievous spirit that the Weasley twins took with them everywhere. It had soon rubbed off on Julie; she hadn't exactly been a mouse before she met them, but after a few weeks of working for the Weasley's, she was just as boisterous as they were. They always had all the customers of the Leaky Cauldron enjoying themselves, and Julie figured that the reason Tom liked them all so well was because they brought in business. Those had been good times, carefree in the midst of so many worries. The memory brought a ghost of a smile to Julie's face.

"It's good to see you smiling," a voice on her right commented.

Julie turned to face Tom, her smile expanding slightly. She had always liked Tom; her naturally kind nature had endeared her to him from the first time Julie had come into his tavern, and he was always kind to her in return. "I was just thinking of how many good times I've enjoyed here, Tom."

He smiled, something he didn't do for many people, and asked, "Can I get you another Butterbeer?"

"Yes, I think I'll take one more." She normally just had one to wind down before bed, but George's unexpected appearance had made her want to stay a little longer.

"Coming right up." Tom began to walk away, then paused. "I think someone could use your company, if you catch my meaning." He nodded discreetly in George's direction before hurrying away to get Julie's Butterbeer.

Julie sighed. What George needed was someone who could understand what he was going through, sympathize, and tell him that everything would be okay. Julie hadn't even reached that point herself; she was simply making it through one day at a time. What could she do for George? But perhaps Tom had a point; George needed someone anyway, and no one else was offering their company. Julie stood and walked over to where George was sitting two tables away.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked quietly and somewhat nervously.

With barely a glance at her, George shrugged. "Go ahead."

Julie sat down and took a good look at her friend. George looked even worse close up; she could see the worry, tiredness, and depression etched into his face and making his brown eyes appear dull and cheerless. Julie didn't know what to say, so she cleared her throat and asked, "Have you opened the shop back up?" She knew it had been closed for months, and that people were beginning to wonder if it was ever going to open up again.

"I'm getting ready to. Hopefully tomorrow morning, if I can get everything set up in time." George seemed to shake himself and make an effort to be more sociable. "How are you doing, Julie? I haven't seen you since…well, in months."

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she answered vaguely. She accepted her Butterbeer from Tom and she and George sat in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts as they sipped their drinks. "George…" Julie wasn't sure how to say what was on her mind. So much had changed; George looked like a different person. "If you need help with the shop and stuff, let me know. I'd be glad to have my old job back. You wouldn't even have to give me a raise," she managed a joke and a laugh.

A smile flitted briefly across George's face; he looked like a shadow of the old George. "I expect you there tomorrow morning at ten, then. Does that work?" He gulped down the last of his drink and stood. "I may even consider your raise."

"I'll be there," Julie promised. George nodded, tossed some money on the table, and walked out. Julie slowly sipped the last of her Butterbeer. He even walked differently now – gone was the boisterous, almost hopping, step. He walked like a man now, a man who had been through a lot in his life and still had a lot to go through.

Julie finished her Butterbeer, paid, and headed for the stairs with a sigh. Yes, many things had changed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I know this is a bit shorter than the last chapter, but I felt like that was a good stopping point. I really wasn't entirely sure what I was going to write for this chapter; basically I know what I want to happen later on, but how to get there is a puzzle. But then I sat down and started typing and _voila_! So hopefully you like it and it goes smoothly. It's late and I'm exhausted tonight, so I'm kinda worried about the whole "going smoothly" part. But anyway, I'll stop rambling now.

**THANKS SO MUCH everyone who has left reviews. They are what spurs me on, even when I don't feel like writing. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep it up. I don't care what you say, good or bad, keep writing or shut up - at least I know someone is reading this and I'm not writing it all for nothing. So again, THANK YOU, and if I could hug every one of you, I would.**

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Chapter 3

No, it couldn't be time already. Julie flung her right arm over her eyes and moaned softly. The sunlight shining in through the crack in the curtains over the window was enough to wake anyone – and definitely enough to prevent anyone from going back to sleep who was already awake. She was so frustrated by her lack of sleep and the bright sunlight that she almost felt like crying. Finally she sat bolt upright in bed and glared in the direction of the window, her blue eyes squinted almost shut. Her long wavy hair was quite messily draped over her shoulders and Julie felt like pulling it out in her irritation.

She had most definitely _not_ slept well last night. Added to Julie's usual concerns and nightmares had been her new worries about George and starting her old job back up today. Mostly she was wondering how different things would be. Obviously they _would_ be different – the main thing being Fred's very noticeable absence. But she had been through a lot in the past several months, and from George's appearance last night, so had he. He had acted so different, too, and Julie wondered how drastically his personality had really changed.

"Oh, fine," she grumbled. There was no denying it: she was wide awake now. She slid out of bed, padded over to the window, and pulled one side of the curtains away from the window just enough so that she could look out. Julie was glad of the fact that her second-story window had a view of Diagon Alley; she enjoyed watching the people bustle up and down on their various errands. Since it was still early – too early in Julie's opinion – there were very few people out yet, and even fewer stores open. Julie ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath as she moved away from the window. It was the start of another day.

_Just keep breathing_, she reminded herself. _Just remember to keep breathing._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Several hours later, having gotten cleaned up and dressed and eaten breakfast, Julie had set off toward Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in a mood barely improved from the one she had woken up in. Tom had barely spoken to her that morning, surprised by the deep scowl on her face. In the back of her mind, Julie felt bad, but mostly she just didn't care. Her head was pounding and her thoughts dwelled on George, the joke shop, and her own nightmares from the night before which seemed to haunt her like ghosts in the daylight. Now, as she made her way down Diagon Alley, her face had relaxed from the scowl of earlier into a slight frown, which had been unfamiliar to her face until several months ago.

When she caught sight of the store sign, her spirits were buoyed somewhat by good memories and the hope that being back in this store again would help her life to become somewhat more normal. She couldn't remember a bad day in the Weasleys' joke shop, and Julie desperately hoped she wouldn't have her first one today. The frown gradually melted off her face, and a look of surprise replaced it when she realized that the people milling around outside were actually standing there waiting for the store to open.

"Good morning," she mumbled, slipping through the crowd toward the front door. Julie nodded absently at the people as she passed them, until she reached apparently locked front door. This didn't faze her; she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. With a satisfied smirk, she opened it and walked in. Fred had turned up one day with a spell to put on the door so that, while the store was closed, it would be locked to anyone the door didn't recognize. Apparently, the door still remembered her.

"Goodness gracious," Julie whispered, after she had closed the door and turned to face the shop. Her heart ached as she looked around, seeing the dusty, partly-empty shelves and even more dust mites playing in the dim light that came through the windows. This didn't look remotely like the same store she had worked in last summer. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered how things had been and looked around the store in dismay.

"Julie, is that you?"

A hoarse voice startled Julie and she quickly gained control of her emotions. "Yes, it's me. I let myself in…hope you don't mind," she added hesitantly. It was the first time she had ever asked if a Weasley minded anything, but things were so different now that Julie was unsure of how she was supposed to act. "I know I'm early, but I thought you could use some help setting up."

"Well actually," George appeared from the back room, wearing black robes that he would have looked quite dashing in if it weren't for his subdued attitude, "I could. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, and so I'm having trouble thinking straight." He raked his hand through his hair and looked around the shop miserably. "I can't seem to get this place organized for the life of me, and I wanted to open in an hour!"

Julie's already aching heart seemed to break in two. That George Weasley would even consider admitting that he was unable to do anything was clear evidence that he was not the same person he had been. Julie pushed her emotions aside, and forced a smile; she had become rather good at that, forcing smiles, and so it didn't even look forced. "That's no problem, Boss. I can think for the both of us." She waved her hand toward the shelves. "Why do I get things cleaned up out here, while you decide what to put on the shelves?"

George's relieved nod was enough to make Julie realize that no matter how she had felt this morning, she was doing the right thing. He returned to the back room, and Julie pulled out her wand. It would take no time at all to get this place cleaned up.

Forty-five minutes later, the place was clean as a whistle, but Julie still hadn't seen or heard from George and she was beginning to grow concerned. She peeked into the back room, and her expression softened. George had apparently been working on paperwork or something and had fallen asleep. He was sprawled forward on the desk with his head resting on a book, snoring very lightly. Julie didn't think it looked like the most comfortable position, but she couldn't bear to wake him; she looked around the room and made a quick decision. She had worked here before, after all, and knew how things were done. She reached for the nearest couple of boxes and tiptoed out of the room. Julie figured she should have just enough time to get the store stocked up before it was time to open. She just hoped she could handle the crowds alone.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_Darkness surrounded him. It was everywhere. No matter where he went, he felt suffocated by the darkness and he couldn't escape it. It almost felt alive; and if it were alive, then it was definitely not on his side. The side of his head burned, and he reached up simultaneously knowing what he would find and yet not knowing. When he touched the side of his head and rediscovered the absence of his ear, he felt a growing revulsion for himself and the never-ending darkness._

_This had happened before. And just as with all repeat dreams, he knew what would happen next but at the same time had no way to avoid it or change it. All he could do was follow along. And follow he did._

_Just when he thought he was going to suffocate in the darkness, it changed. Now the darkness wasn't suffocating; it was simply there, just the absence of light. But then he saw someone walking toward him. He felt eager and yet full of dread. For he already knew who it was._

_It could have been him in appearance, except for a few minor differences. The newcomer had both of his ears, for one thing. Not only that, but he was smiling broadly and walking with a jaunty step. And he didn't seem to notice that he was covered in blood._

_He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't watch his twin coming toward him without a care in the world. Didn't he know he was dead? Didn't he know he wasn't supposed to be here? He began to sob and walk backwards, but the other one kept coming. His mouth was moving, a question was being asked – a question full of excitement and mischief. But no words could be heard, no sound at all. And then a shrug, and the twin promptly turned around and began to walk the other way. As much as he wanted to, there was no way to catch up with his twin, there was no way to move forward. All he could do was reach out toward him and try to call him back. _

_At the last moment, just before he would have moved out of sight, his twin turned. He was no longer smiling. Now, he was sobbing with a look of horror on his face. He wasn't asking a question anymore, he was begging to be saved. Then, he began to fade._

"_NO!"_

George woke with a start. His heart was racing, he was breathing hard, and he was sweaty. He didn't know where he was at first, or if he had cried out. He sat back in his chair and willed himself to calm down. The nightmare he had just had still had him in its clutches and was not allowing him to think clearly. George closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Finally his heart rate slowed and he looked around him.

Of course, it was the office. He was reopening the store today. George looked down at the desktop in front of him and tried to remember what he had been doing before he had fallen asleep. Oh yes, Julie had sent him back here to get things ready to stock the shelves. Then his eyes caught sight of the clock and he jumped up. Julie, where was she? The store was supposed to have opened two hours ago! Had she left?

He hurried to the doorway and began to push the curtain aside, then stopped in his tracks. The shop was packed full. Julie was at the counter, cheerfully ringing people up. The shelves were full of stock, and Julie had even overstocked – arranging things on the floor in neat stacks. George was amazed; Julie was a natural, she hadn't even needed his help after all.

George began to walk out into the storefront, but then he realized that he hadn't even looked in a mirror in a couple of days and that it might be a wise decision to go clean up a bit. Julie could handle things for a few minutes longer. And so, desperate to escape the nightmare which still seemed to be pursuing him, George hurried to get cleaned up and get to work. _Keep busy and keep breathing_, was what he continually repeated to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Haha, I wrote this at work! I was so bored so I decided to go ahead and write and upload another chapter. Only problem is, I had to rush at the end because it was almost closing time... Hopefully that didn't effect the writing too much, but I can always come back and edit later if I need to. Anywho, like I always say, please read and review. Hope you like it!

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Chapter 4

"No ma'am, we don't have any Pygmy Puffs," Julie calmly explained to the woman for what was probably the fifth time. "We just reopened today and so there are a few things we haven't had time to make or order. As far as I know, Mr. Weasley will be bringing them back, so check back in a week or so." Julie smiled blandly, despite the woman's sputtering irritation. Julie may have been a natural with customer service, but she didn't have the same skill at charming people that the Weasley twins were famous for. And so she managed to convey the information in a kind manner and prevent fights from breaking out, but she wasn't able to charm people into adoring her even when things didn't go their way.

Finally the woman moved away to look for something else to buy for her five-year-old daughter and Julie turned to face the next customer. There had been a steady stream of them ever since she had opened the store a couple of hours ago, and still no appearance from the store owner. She felt that she was handling things well so far, but she was beginning to get that slightly-overwhelmed-and-beginning-to-get-hysterical feeling, and knew that soon she would need help or she might just snap. She was very glad of the fact that they had had enough in the back office to overstock, so that Julie didn't have to worry about running out of stock. At least not right now – that would probably come soon if George didn't wake up. Still, she didn't begrudge him his rest; she knew how it felt to be so deprived of good sleep that you felt like you could literally fall asleep anywhere and at any time. Not that she had ever had, just felt like she could.

CRASH.

Julie froze as she was handing another customer his change. Her emotions seemed to freeze, and she wasn't sure exactly how she felt at the moment. Then, another smaller crash brought her back to her senses. She didn't even try to smile as she handed the change over, then looked around frantically. There was nothing to be seen where Julie was standing; everything was as it should be. But there was no way she could get away to find out what it was, let alone set everything to rights again. The line was way too long for that! Julie's brain was going at full-speed trying to process everything and figure out a way to fix the problem.

"I…I…um," she stuttered, looking blankly at the product the next woman in line handed her. She wasn't even sure what she was looking at; she had been stretched to the breaking point, and now her brain was refusing to work. Julie was simply overwhelmed. She couldn't handle it by herself anymore. To top it all off, it sounded like some kids weren't too happy about something, and it sounded like it was coming from the same aisle as the crash.

"Julie, you are amazing."

Those words, stated right behind her left shoulder, caused Julie to jump slightly and then whirl around, eyes wide. "George." She felt relief, complete and utter relief. "Can you take over here? I think something just fell off a shelf…or something." Eager to get away and have a minute to recuperate and catch her breath, Julie handed whatever it was she was holding in her hand to George and practically pushed him out of her way. She scampered in the direction the crash came from, amazed by her feeling of freedom. That was, until she saw exactly _what_ had crashed to the floor; then she felt like crying again.

They had to be a kind of variation of Mexican Jumping Beans, she figured. There were a few differences, though. Such as the fact that this particular kind seemed to have legs, so not only did they jump the way Mexican Jumping Beans do, but they _jumped_ almost as high as Julie's shoulder and they appeared to be climbing the shelves and wall and any legs that happened to be nearby, hence the crying children.

It was the crying children that finally calmed her down, and her maternal instincts took charge. The two little girls, both about four Julie figured, were frantically stamping their feet, but the little…things…were climbing up their robes and the little girls were growing more and more frantic. Julie quickly knelt on the floor, ignoring the things that began to climb up her own robes, and hugged the little girls. "It's okay, they're just toys," she told them soothingly. "Come with me, and we'll get them off of you." Julie knew it would be no use where she was now, more of the things would just start climbing again. The girls' sobs slowed to whimpers, and Julie led them by the hands quickly over towards the counter, where there were a couple of chairs up against the wall.

"What in the world…?" George asked as Julie seated the girls in the chairs.

Julie didn't risk looking at him because she knew that if he was wearing the expression she associated with that tone of voice, she would burst into laughter – and as welcome as that would be right now, for someone who hadn't really laughed in months, she knew the little girls wouldn't appreciate it. So she ignored George and knelt in front of the girls again. She slowly and methodically picked the things off their clothes and put them in a jar she grabbed from under the counter, keeping her hand firmly secured over the top.

"There!" she exclaimed, pulling the last one off. "You're okay now, girls. Feel better?" After two emphatic nods, Julie smiled and gave them each one last hug. "You can each have a free piece of candy, and I'm sorry about the trouble." The trouble was immediately forgotten, however, and the girls rushed off to choose their candy, while Julie turned and confronted George.

"George Weasley, I'm not going to ask," she said with well-practiced and also quite fake sternness. She shoved the now-closed jar into his chest and told him, barely able to keep from smiling, "You can go clean up your mess. I'll take over the counter again."

"_My_ mess?" George choked. "What?"

"Just go see." Julie pointed the way, and was satisfied to see a chagrined expression on George's face when he heard shrieking children; at least these shrieks were fun shrieks and not frightened ones. _He shaved_, she noted with slight surprise. It was the first time she had really looked at him since she had seen him asleep, and his appearance had changed, even if only enough for a good friend to notice. _And he combed his hair and pulled it back. The shadows under his eyes aren't as dark_… She abruptly realized she was staring, and quickly pushed him in the right direction. "Go on, get going." She watched him walk away and smiled slightly; she was glad to see her friend looking better.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Julie and George each took a short break for lunch, but they stayed fairly busy and Julie was sure she would get a good night's sleep for a change. When they finally closed the shop, Julie slumped into a chair to rest her feet for a minute before cleaning up, while George immediately began to count the money. A companionable silence filled the store and Julie almost dozed off. The only thing that stopped her from dozing was George slumping into the chair next to her.

"How'd we do?" Julie asked wearily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. All she wanted to do was go home – _no, to the Leaky Cauldron_, she reminded herself – get something to eat and go to bed.

"I think we pretty much did better than we ever have," George replied, sounding tired, but happier than she had heard him sound in the last couple of days – which wasn't really saying much. "Thanks for all your help today, I couldn't have done it without you."

"Yeah, obviously, since you slept through the first two hours," Julie teased gently, lightly punching his arm. Then she stood and stretched. "Well, boss, I'll clean up and then I'm outta here."

George stood, too, and looked around. "Why don't you let me do the cleaning up tonight, and you can go ahead and leave. After all, like you said, I did sleep through the first two hours." He actually half-smiled, and Julie smiled happily in return. He looked almost like her friend from months ago. Almost.

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow, then," Julie said. "Want me to come early again?" George assured her she didn't have to, but she knew she would anyway. When she was working, she felt almost as if nothing had changed, and that was good. "All right then, I will see you in the morning."

"Wait." Julie paused and looked at George quizzically. He reached toward her arm and she looked down. One of those Mexican jumping bean things was climbing steadily up toward her shoulder. George gently picked it off and gave a real, genuine smile. "Sorry about, uh, _my_ mess earlier. Promise it won't happen again."

Julie just rolled her eyes, unsure of what to say. There was a lump in her throat anyway, so she may not have been able to speak even if she wanted to. She waved and turned toward the door. George watched her walk out, and his shoulder slumped slightly as she disappeared from sight. He had actually been able to almost forget, and he didn't want the day to end. He shook his head and turned toward the office, carrying the money bag, ignoring the pressing silence.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next few days back at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes passed in much the same way as the first. Julie wondered if George was going to change the sign from "Weasleys" to "Weasley" but she didn't voice the question; it wasn't a big deal at the moment, and Julie was sure it would only upset him. His mood seemed to be improved from that first night she saw him at the Leaky Cauldron, but he was still melancholy, especially for one of the Weasley twins. Julie was concerned about him, but there really wasn't anything she could do about it, especially when she was still prone to bouts of depression herself. However, she was usually able to push them aside enough to act like her cheery old self during the day at work. At night, it was a different story. She and George both had their own nightmares to deal with, which often caused them to be tired the next day. As business picked up, Julie began to sleep marginally better during the night, but George seemed to have permanent dark circles under his eyes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Early the next week, Julie had to splash through puddles on her way to work. It had obviously rained hard during the night, and it was still dreary and drizzling that morning. It hadn't made it any easier for her to get up and get going. She tried to talk herself into a good mood as she hurried down the street, trying to avoid the deepest of the puddles, but it didn't seem to be working. She hadn't been in a mood this foul since the first morning of work; hopefully the joke shop would cheer her up.

George was already moving around the store setting things up when Julie walked in the door. She smoothed out her hair as well as she could, and looked around. George had obviously been working on building up their supply of stock. She supposed it was harder for him now, because he had to do all the work instead of half. But he and Fred had developed a way of mass producing their inventions, so maybe it wasn't so bad. She was glad to see more stock on the shelves, though.

"Good morning, Boss," Julie gave her usual greeting, minus a smile, and walked toward him. "What should I do?"

"There's really not much," George answered, looking around. "I've been setting stuff up and rearranging, and we're pretty much ready now." He wiped his hands on his black robes and took one last glance around the store. "We'll be busy today—"

"As opposed to usual?"

"—because school is starting in a couple of days." George didn't even acknowledge her only lighthearted comment so far that day, just continued speaking. "So I put out more of the things that sell better during this time of year, and our two new sales associates are starting today. I can train them on the floor while you man the counter. That's the plan for today," George stopped talking and looked at Julie for the first time since she had come in. A mildly surprised look crossed his face before it settled back into the expressionless mask he had been wearing since Julie walked in. "You're wet."

"Yes. It's raining," Julie replied, with hardly any expression on her part either. She knew that George was most likely thinking along the same lines as her, namely about school. If only they could go back to their carefree days at Hogwarts…but "if only"s never got anyone anywhere, except depressed. Julie sighed and headed for the back office to put away her umbrella, which she had carried but not used, and thought ahead to the day, leaving George to rearrange the items on the shelves that he had been rearranging since three o'clock that morning. The shop wouldn't open for another twenty minutes.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Finally, the day was over. Julie hadn't thought it ever would be. It was hard, the cheerful kids coming in in droves, excited about the beginning of school. Julie wished she was among them; she missed her school days more than she could express. Those were the days before the deaths of so many of her friends, when the war with Voldemort was just thought, and when she thought life would go on like that forever.

Back in her room upstairs in the Leaky Cauldron, Julie changed into a dry set of robes and brushed out her hair. She sank into the room's one chair with a book, intending to read for a little while before going downstairs to get something to eat.

She woke up a few hours later, disoriented in the dark room. She took a few seconds to get her bearings, then reached down to pick up her book and set it on the dresser next to the bed. Julie stretched; she didn't feel rested at all. _That's what you get for sleeping in a chair, dimwit_, she scolded herself as she ran her fingers through her hair and moved toward the door. Oh well, the Leaky Cauldron would still be serving food and would definitely be serving drinks. She would just grab a quick bite and then come back upstairs for some proper rest.

One person she did not expect to see as she entered the tavern was George Weasley. Julie knew he hardly left the shop, let alone to appear in a crowded place. Unlike the George of old, this George preferred solitude and quiet. But there he was, sitting at a corner table with his shoulder length hair falling forward around his bent face, nursing what appeared to be at least his fourth or fifth mug of something. And Julie suspected that something wasn't Butterbeer.

All thoughts of dinner flew from Julie's mind and she hurried over to where George was and sat down next to him. He glanced over at her, then looked back down at the table without saying anything. Julie bit her bottom lip; she didn't know what to say either, but she couldn't stand to see George like this. He had had too much to drink, for sure; neither he nor Fred had ever been big drinkers.

"How many have you had?" she asked quietly, no judgment or condemnation in her voice.

George shrugged as an answer, and gulped down the rest of his last drink. He started to wave to Tom to bring him another one, but Julie put her hand on his arm and he dropped it to the table. He didn't argue or fight, just sat there.

"George, come on, I'm going to get you back." She stood and then leaned down to help him stand. There were quite a few people in the place, but no one was paying them any mind, for which Julie was grateful. George didn't resist her help. Julie put his arm around her shoulders and led him toward the door. His walk was not unsteady, but he didn't really seem to be paying attention to what they were doing as Julie walked with him out onto the dark street of Diagon Alley.

Their walk back to the shop was spent in silence. Julie was full of concern for George, and George seemed to be off in his own world. Finally they reached the store, made their way up the stairs to George's apartment, and into George's bedroom. It was dark; Julie waved her wand to light the lamps. George stood in the middle of the room where she had left him as she pulled the covers on the bed down. She nudged him gently in that direction, and he sank down onto the edge of the bed and mumbled something.

"Pardon?" Julie sat down next to him to hear what he had said.

"I said, I'm sorry," George said in the quietest voice Julie had ever heard a Weasley use. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this. I'm sorry…"

When he trailed off, Julie wrapped her arms around him sideways, resting her head on his shoulders, trying to will away the tears in her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say. "George…I'm always here for you. Life's not easy, I know, but you're my friend and I'm here for you through thick and thin, okay?" He didn't respond, but Julie knew he had heard her. She didn't lecture him, now wasn't the time. Right now he just needed to be comforted and taken care of, like a little kid.

With that thought, Julie reached for the comb sitting on the bedside table and began to slowly comb his hair. It wasn't really important, she figured, but she didn't want to leave him alone just yet and maybe something soothing like having his hair combed would help George feel better. Besides, it wasn't like she could do much else for him at the moment.

"Julie," George interrupted her after a minute by gently wrapping his fingers around her wrist. She lowered her arm, and George continued, "you don't have to do this. I appreciate it, but I'm a grown man; I should be able to take care of myself."

"We all need someone to take care of us sometimes," Julie answered softly, looking into his eyes. "I'm your friend, I want to do what I can." She put her hand over his and did her best to smile. "Will you be able to sleep tonight?"

"Yes." He looked down at her hand on his and nodded. "I will probably be able to sleep better tonight than I have in a long time," he added wryly.

"Then I'll leave and let you sleep." Julie patted his hand and gently withdrew her arm from his grasp. As she stood, George stood, too. She gave him a hug, which he returned, and then moved toward the door. "I'll be here early in the morning."

"Thank you, Jules," he whispered, using her old nickname, the one that she hadn't heard since…before. "You'll never know how much I appreciate you and everything you've done for me."

Julie could picture him standing there, looking forlorn and hopeless. She didn't turn around; she didn't want George to see the tears coursing down her face. But she did manage to say, in a relatively steady, if quite soft, voice, "I would do anything for you, George."

Then she returned to the Leaky Cauldron, went to bed – her dinner forgotten – and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter is kinda depressing. I just had this scene in my head of George drowning his sorrows in drinking, like so many people do in real life (and no, I don't condone the idea lol). Also, I think this is like, totally the opposite of how I would have expected George to act drunk before reading HP7. Anyway, hopefully you guys like it, let me know! I already think I know what I'm going to write for the next chapter, so keep an eye out for that within the next couple of days. 


	6. Chapter 6

Julie woke up early the next morning with the groggy feeling you get when you've cried yourself to sleep the night before

A/N – Sorry it's taken so long for an update. I'm just about to finish my first semester at VCU and let me tell you it's been CRAZY. There are quite a few things different about VCU than a community college – not the least of which is the workload. faint But! I have (almost!) made it through the semester and summer is just over the horizon! I have been studying for finals and working on projects but I needed a break so I decided to write a chapter for this. Let me know what you think, and hopefully it won't be too long before the next update!

Julie woke up early the next morning with the groggy feeling you get when you've cried yourself to sleep the night before. She didn't waste any time getting cleaned up and dressed before she rushed downstairs. All she had was a cup of hot cocoa before heading out to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She was still worried about George. Sure, what he had said the night before about being a grown man and able to care for himself was true, but Julie still wanted to be there for him and make sure he was okay. She calmed herself down on the way there by telling herself that he really didn't have _that_ much to drink, just more than he usually had. _He'll be fine, I'm being silly_, she kept repeating to herself. But that didn't make her slow her steps any more.

She reached the shop and headed up the stairs toward George's apartment. Suddenly Julie hesitated. What if George got annoyed with her for coming? What if he just wanted to be left alone? Almost ready to turn back, Julie knocked softly on the door. It was only a few seconds before it opened, and a disheveled looking George stood before her. He was dressed, but Julie thought that he had probably slept in the clothes he was wearing last night.

A look of surprise crossed George's face. "Julie? Is everything okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, everything's fine," Julie assured him. "I just wanted to come check on you and maybe make you breakfast?" She ended as a question because she wasn't so sure of herself anymore. Actually, she was feeling rather foolish now. _This was a stupid idea_, Julie thought, mentally kicking herself. _He doesn't need you to take care of him, he can take care of himself just fine!_

"Really? Well…thanks!" Still surprised, George opened the door wider. "Come on in."

Julie did, and then she stopped and said, "I mean, if you want breakfast. Or if you even want me to fix it for you. I know you can take care of yourself and stuff, so maybe you think it's a dumb idea but—"

"Jules, shut up," George interrupted, even smiling slightly with a teasing glint in his eye. "I appreciate it, a lot. I have a massive headache, and I'm kicking myself for being so dumb last night. I would love it if you would make breakfast for me. You are truly wonderful." He led the way toward the small kitchen. "I don't know how much I have as far as breakfast supplies go, but whatever you can find you can use."

Dumbfounded, Julie followed him into the kitchen. This was a completely different George from a few days ago. What had happened since last night to put him in such a good mood? Obviously, it didn't compare to the boisterous personality the Weasley twins had been known for, but it was still a great improvement over the depressed George of last night. "Um, okay."

"You all right?" George asked, turning to leave the kitchen.

"Um, yeah…yeah, I'm fine," Julie answered, smiling faintly. "I'll get started on breakfast."

"Okay," George nodded. "I'm going to get cleaned up." The corners of his mouth turned up a little bit as he walked out of the room. Julie stood for a minute staring after him, still not entirely sure what to think.

Finally she focused her attention on the task at hand – breakfast. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out an egg carton, which contained just enough eggs for the two of them. She also found half a loaf of bread and some onion. With a wave of her wand, Julie had scrambled eggs with onion cooking in the frying pan, and the bread toasting. She remembered that George, like her, detested coffee, which was good since she didn't really know how to make it anyway. So she pulled out orange juice and filled two glasses. In no time, she had the small table set for two and was just setting the plates on the table when George returned.

He looked a lot better; he was wearing clean robes, for one thing. He had shaved and his hair was combed, but he had left it down – Julie assumed to hide the gaping hole where his ear had been; Julie was finally getting used to seeing the lack of his ear, but it was still almost painful for her to look at. George looked almost good as new, except for the dark circles under his eyes, and the black robes that he had been wearing the past week and a half. Julie had never seen him wear black robes before.

Julie realized she was scrutinizing him and turned her attention back to the table, hoping he wouldn't have noticed. "Just in time, breakfast is ready," she told him.

"It looks excellent," George said, waiting for her to sit before he seated himself. "You managed to find some scraps, I see. They look great."

Unsure what to do with all the praise, Julie waved it off. "It's only eggs and toast for goodness' sake," she said, rolling her eyes. She put salt and pepper on her eggs and began to eat. As glad as Julie was to see the change in George, she almost didn't know how to react. While they made small talk and ate, Julie kept an eye on her friend. She was happy to see George eat all of the food she had put on his plate. As soon as Julie had put the last bite of toast into her mouth, George stood and cleared the table of all except their glasses. He rejoined her and they sat finishing their orange juice and taking their time.

"We'll probably be busy again today," Julie commented.

"I'm sure we will," George agreed. "Probably things will slow down next week, when all the kids have gone to school." He took a sip of his juice, staring thoughtfully out the window. "We still have people come into the shop during the school year, but we get a lot more mail orders then."

Julie nodded and smiled. "I remember when we used to get orders for a wide variety of random stuff and we used to try to figure out what the kids were going to do with the things they ordered."

"Yeah," George smiled as well and Julie's heart felt light again. "Fred and I did okay in our Hogwarts days, but it would have been great if we'd had access to a joke shop like this one back then."

"I remember that Fred used to say, 'Zonko's is great, but they got nothing on us!'" Julie laughed. She swallowed the last of her orange juice and set her glass down. The smile slid slowly from her face, and she looked over at George. He seemed to be millions of miles away, but he didn't look unhappy and for that Julie was glad. A few moments later he startled Julie by standing up abruptly.

"Well, I guess we'd better get to work," George announced, reaching down to take Julie's glass from her. After the dishes had been cleaned, they both made their way downstairs to start their day, not talking much, but in decidedly better moods than they had been lately.

- - - - -

"Wow," Julie sighed as she flipped the sign in the window around so people would know the store was closed. She walked back to the counter, scanning the shelves with her eyes and mentally calculating how much had been sold that day. When she reached the counter, George was already counting up the money and rather than interrupt him, Julie decided to go ahead and start cleaning up and maybe stock the shelves a little bit for the next day.

It had been an incredibly busy day – even busier than the day before. People had poured into the shop in high spirits and had seemed quite willing to empty their pockets or bags of money. The Pygmy Puffs which George had just stocked that day had sold out, and there were very few Skiving Snackboxes left. The day had flown by; George, Julie, and the two new sales associates Kyler and Grace had been kept running practically the whole time. Julie hadn't had many opportunities to talk to George even though he had been operating the register next to hers for much of the day, but he seemed to have kept up his good mood.

She was even more convinced of that when she heard him shouting a moment later, "Julie, we broke our record!" George came down the aisle where she was standing, grabbed her waist, picked her up, and spun her around. "We made more money today than we ever have – by a long shot!"

So surprised by George's actions that she didn't know what to do, Julie managed a smile and repeated, "Wow!"

"No, it's not wow, this is amazing – it's incredible – it's unbelievable," George seemed to be beside himself in excitement. He grinned, a full-fledged grin, and seemed to have become his old self. He shook his head. "Julie, how 'bout dinner?"

"Um, sure!" Julie was still having a hard time figuring out how to react to this exuberant George.

"Stop looking at me like that," George commanded. "You'd think I'd grown an arm out of my head or something."

Now Julie couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, Boss, just let me finish cleaning up." She did so hurriedly, unable to wipe the smile from her face now.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a new lightness in George's step as he and Julie made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron

There was a new lightness in George's step as he and Julie made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. They hadn't discussed where they would be going, but they seemed to automatically know. George looked up at the dark blue sky speckled with stars and tried to remember when he had felt this good. It had been a long time. He probably wouldn't be feeling this good right now if it weren't for the girl walking next to him and her presence in his dreams last night – but he quickly shoved that thought far away.

Julie was entertaining him with stories about the customers she had had that day. George was listening with amusement and a small smile. When they reached the Leaky Cauldron, George held the door open for her and they both sat down at a table. Looking around, George realized that everyone who had been in the joke shop had probably come over here when they were done with their shopping. There was more than one familiar face in the pub tonight, and as the night wore on George's mood only improved.

By the time he said goodnight to Julie and started home, he felt better than ever. George entered the shop and set to work on getting some more stock ready for the next day. It was late before he finally went upstairs and fell into bed. He was so tired that he went to sleep almost immediately and didn't even dream for the first time in months.

- - - - -

The next few days passed by in a blur. The shop and Diagon Alley as a whole were so busy that Julie and George barely had time to breathe. Julie would hurry to work early in the morning and she and George would get the store set up in time to open. The two new associates, Kyler and Grace, worked most of the day and were a big help. When the shop closed, with many of the shelves empty, George would count the money while Julie cleaned. Then they would part ways and get ready to go through the same process all over again the next day.

Many people came in to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes over the next several days that George and Julie recognized. Harry Potter dropped by to say hello, along with George's brother Ron and sister Ginny, and Hermione Granger as well. Lee Jordan, a good friend of George and Fred's from school came by several times to visit. So many more people that Julie knew from her days at Hogwarts came through the store the week before school started that she lost count. It did a lot to buoy her spirits, though, and by the end of the week she felt significantly more cheerful.

After school started, the joke shop wasn't nearly as busy. Kyler and Grace each had their own, steady, part-time schedule now, and the days weren't so much of a rush for George and Julie. It didn't take long for all of them to settle into a routine. Julie knew that soon she would have to deal with some issues, but for now she was content just to live this simple life day by day.

- - - - -

As it often is with life, those issues that Julie had hoped to put off for some time suddenly intruded on her one morning.

She was standing in front of the mirror in her room, just finishing getting ready for work, when there was a tap at the window. She set her hairbrush down and hurried to open it and let in the owl, who promptly flew over to stand on the little table in the corner. Julie quickly closed the window again – it was raining and the wind was blowing it right into her room. The owl was patiently holding out a leg, on which was tied an envelope. Julie untied it and then poured some water from a cup into a small bowl for the ruffled owl. "I'm sorry I don't have any food, but you can have some water," she told it and the owl hooted gratefully before bending its head to drink.

Julie looked at the envelope in her hand curiously. She didn't recognize the handwriting. With a slight frown, she turned it over and broke the seal. Inside was one sheet of paper. She unfolded them and realized that it was a letter. Puzzled, she sank onto her bed to read the unfamiliar handwriting.

_Julie Tucker,_

_I trust this letter finds you well. This is deplorable weather _

_we have been experiencing._

_You may not remember me. I am Lola Winchester. _

_Your father was my brother._

_I have his will at my home and have sorted everything_

_out since his and your mother's and brother's deaths._

_Everything is quite in order and you will need to come_

_immediately so that we can finish up this business. I am_

_sure you know that everything has been left to you and _

_you need to come claim your possessions._

_Please respond as soon as you can – by return owl if_

_possible. I will expect your reply no later than two days_

_from now. _

The letter was signed with an elaborate signature: "Lola Rose Winchester." Julie read the letter again two times before letting it fall to the floor. She rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. Why now? Things were going so well. Why did she have to deal with this now? She would rather just forget about it, really. Maybe if she didn't reply…

But no. She had to. These were her possessions that were in question, after all. Even if this was a matter she would rather avoid, Julie knew she couldn't. Oh well, perhaps it was better to deal with it now than to put it off any longer. With a sigh, Julie picked up the letter, took some of her own parchment off her dresser, and sat at the table to compose a reply. The owl was sitting on the table still, watching Julie with wise eyes.

"If only you could give me advice and tell me what to do," Julie whispered to it. The owl merely blinked in reply and Julie smiled weakly. She took her quill and put it to the parchment, quickly writing out the answer to her aunt's letter. It was short, to the point, and not nearly as elegant looking as Lola's letter. Julie simply stated that she would come whenever it was convenient for Lola, and commented that she would need directions. She signed her name, tied it to the leg of the owl, and sent it on it's way back into the rain.

The arrival of the owl and the letter had completely ruined Julie's day. She didn't want to go to work now – didn't even want to leave her little room. With another heavy sigh, she decided that she didn't really have a choice. She needed to work, she wanted to see George, and maybe the shop would get her mind off things. She grabbed her umbrella and made her way down the stairs.

As soon as she reached the bottom, Julie stopped in surprise. "George?"

He was standing at the bar talking to Tom, but he turned when he heard her voice, and smiled slightly. "Good morning, Julie."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, puzzled. This certainly was unusual. She couldn't think of any reason for George to be at the Leaky Cauldron in the morning, especially one as rainy as this.

"Coming to check on you actually," he answered, with a raised eyebrow. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. Normally you are at the shop before now, so I thought maybe something was wrong." There was a hint of question in George's voice, but he was too polite to ask directly. Julie was glad; she didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh, sorry about that." She managed a smile. "I got a letter from my aunt. In reading the letter and writing a reply, I guess I lost track of time." She began to walk toward the door, waiting for George to follow suit. "Thank you for coming, though," Julie added as he caught up with her and opened the door for her to precede him out into the rain, touched that George would be so considerate. "I appreciate your thinking of me."

"Don't mention it," he answered, waving his hand. He had brought his own umbrella, so both of them were carrying one over their heads as they walked down the street. "It was a beautiful day for a walk, anyway," George added with a grin.

Julie laughed, surprising herself. "Oh yes, definitely the perfect day for a walk." She looked pointedly down at their feet as they splashed through the myriad of puddles. "I just love having wet feet at the start of my day."

"As do I. We have a lot in common." George grinned at her again, wiggling his eyebrows mischievously.

With another laugh, Julie realized that she was glad she was going to work today after all. If anyone could take her mind off of things, it would be George. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. His mood had remained cheerful ever since it had suddenly and mysteriously turned that way. She still didn't understand it, but she was glad to have him somewhat back to normal.

George sensed her studying him and turned to look at her. Before she could look away, he winked, causing her stomach to do a quick somersault as she averted her gaze. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but it wasn't really noticeable this dark morning. Julie lectured herself in her mind. What had gotten into her anyway?


	8. Chapter 8

Julie had another owl waiting for her when she reached her room that evening. It was a different owl from earlier, and it was sitting patiently outside her window. Julie opened it quickly and let the owl in, feeding it some water while she read the latest letter. This one was also from her aunt, but it was much shorter than the earlier letter. All that this one said was that Lola would expect Julie Friday evening at five for tea and sent directions.

After she had sent the owl back with an affirmative reply, Julie got ready for bed. Friday was just two days away. Julie hadn't expected her aunt to expect to see her so soon, and she was dreading going to her house. It turned out that her aunt lived in a neighborhood Julie was familiar with, and Julie was grateful for that much, at least. That way she could Apparate and get there that much more quickly.

With a lingering feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, Julie was sure she wouldn't get much rest over the next couple of nights.

- - - - -

She tried to go through the next two days as usual. She thought she did fairly well, but on Thursday evening George asked her what was wrong. Julie tried to brush off the question with a smile. But she took the opportunity to let him know she would need to leave early the next day.

"I can't stay until closing tomorrow night," Julie told him while she cleaned up and he counted out the money. "I have to go to my aunt's for tea. I'm sorry it's such short notice." She kept her voice light, purposely making it sound as if this were merely a social call. She didn't want to go into details – not with George, and not now.

"Oh, that's no problem," George replied, sounding surprised, but not unhappy. "You need a night off to get out and have some fun. It's good that you can go see your aunt. I didn't even know you had an aunt."

Julie laughed. "Yeah, she was my father's sister." Julie was quite content to leave it at that and George was well aware of the fact that she didn't like to talk about her parents, so he left it alone.

"Anytime you need some time off, it's fine," he said, instead. "Especially right now – the shop is fairly slow and most of our business in mail orders, which I can handle fine on my own."

"Because you don't get enough sleep," Julie replied, glad to be turning the focus of the conversation away from herself. Anyway, it was true. George had been doing better, but he still had dark circles under his eyes and Julie was sure he wasn't getting enough sleep.

George only shrugged without replying, and that ended their conversation. Too soon, it was time for Julie to leave. She said goodbye to George and stepped out into the dark, cool evening. Julie inhaled the cool air and began to walk briskly toward the Leaky Cauldron. She couldn't help wondering where she would be at this time the next day, and what would have transpired by then. It was not a pleasant train of thought, but no matter how hard she tried, Julie could not steer her thoughts elsewhere.

Julie had walked quite a ways when she heard George calling her and running to catch up. She turned and waited for him.

"Julie, you forgot your gloves," he told her when he was within speaking distance. "Your hands must be freezing." George reached out with his empty hand to wrap his fingers around one of Julie's.

His touch did funny things to her insides. Julie wasn't sure what to say or how to react, so she didn't say or do anything, just stared down at their hands.

George didn't even seem to notice. "They are freezing. Silly Julie, how could you forget your gloves?" He was smiling down at her, but when she looked up, the smile melted and a concerned look replaced it. "What's wrong, Julie? You haven't been yourself."

Julie looked away and shrugged. "I'm okay, just tired."

"If you're sure." George squeezed the hand he was still holding. "You know that if something's bothering you, you can always come to me with anything." He looked at her closely until Julie met his eyes again. "You do know that, right?"

"Yes," Julie answered, trying to smile but not succeeding. "I appreciate it."

"That's what friends are for. I know you'd do the same for me." He was still staring down at her. "I know you're not telling me something, and I really wish you would tell me so I could help you."

"There's nothing you could do anyway," Julie mumbled, shaking her head. "But thanks." She held out her free hand for her gloves, but George didn't hand them over. "George? Can I have my gloves now?" She waited a couple more seconds, but he didn't move. She looked up at him again to find him staring at her intently. "George?" Julie repeated, unable to read his expression.

Without replying, George took a step closer. He never looked away from her eyes while he slowly lowered his head until his face was inches from hers. Julie felt like she couldn't breathe, wondering if he was actually going to kiss her. She mentally reminded herself to keep breathing, and managed to do so until his lips met hers. At that moment, Julie forgot how to breathe. Her world spun crazily on its axis and she wasn't even sure if she was still standing.

The kiss didn't last more than a few seconds. George pulled away slowly, not moving more than a few inches and still staring into her eyes. Neither spoke for a long time, then finally George whispered, "Are you mad?"

Julie wasn't sure what she was, but she most certainly wasn't mad. Unable to find her voice and still trying to remember how to breathe, she managed to shake her head. She lifted her hand to brush a few stray hairs out of his face and was surprised to see her fingers shaking. George tilted his head to the side, pressing his cheek into the palm of her hand.

"Your hands are still cold," he whispered, smiling slightly.

"I hadn't noticed," Julie whispered back, managing a small smile in return.

George grinned and leaned down to kiss her again. Julie slid her arm around his neck and closed her eyes, wishing time would stop right at that moment. Of course it didn't. George eventually pulled away again and stepped back, handing her the gloves.

"Let me walk you the rest of the way," George said while Julie tugged her gloves onto her hands.

"Okay." Julie smiled and began walking again, this time with George by her side. He almost immediately reached out and took her hand, and Julie squeezed his fingers in response. They walked in comfortable silence for several minutes before Julie spoke. "So where does this leave us?"

"Where do you want it to leave us?" George responded in a teasing tone.

"Oh, no, you don't," Julie laughed. "I asked first."

George didn't answer immediately. When he did, his tone was thoughtful. "Well, I think that we should give it some time and take things slowly. We've been friends for a while, and I know we can be totally open and honest with each other. We've both been through a lot…" He trailed off here, and Julie spoke up again.

"You're right. We need to just be careful so we don't wind up hurting each other. Besides, I think we're close enough friends that, even if this doesn't…turn into something more, then we'll be okay."

"Exactly." George smiled at her. "I'm glad we see eye to eye."

Julie laughed. "On this subject anyway." They had reached the Leaky Cauldron now, and stopped outside the building. Julie turned to face George. "Thanks for walking me back."

"It was my pleasure," he teased. Then he frowned and, still in a teasing tone, asked her, "So does that mean I can't kiss you again?"

Julie burst out laughing. "Definitely not." She reached up to slide both of her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe, lifting her face expectantly. George kissed her and then rested his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes. Julie stared back and said quietly, "You were right. Something has been bothering me, but I haven't thought about it for the past several minutes, thanks to you."

"Glad I could be of service," George joked. "At least I'm useful for something."

Julie smacked George lightly on the shoulder. "Of course you are."

"Seriously, though, do you want to talk about it?"

"Not tonight." Julie sighed and closed her eyes momentarily, the dread settling in her stomach again. "We can talk about it after I've been to my aunt's. I'll be able to explain it better then, anyway, I think."

George nodded. He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek lightly before releasing her. "Well, then, I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest and don't worry too much, things will be fine." He briefly touched her cheek with his fingertips before turning around and walking away.

Julie slept a little better that night than she had expected she would.

- - - - -

George, on the other hand, almost didn't sleep at all. When he reached the shop again after walking Julie to the Leaky Cauldron, he stood motionless for several minutes before abruptly heading to the back room to work on filling some mail orders to be sent out the next day. His mind wasn't really on his work; his thoughts were in turmoil.

He had kissed Julie.

In some ways it had come out of nowhere. But in other ways, it wasn't really a surprise at all. George had always liked Julie, and the more time he spent with her the more he liked her. That had been true before and it was still true now. He wasn't sure when his feelings had grown strong enough for him to want to kiss her, though. George smiled at the memory of the feel of Julie in his arms, but the smile quickly faded away when the guilt set it.

Would he ever escape the guilt? George sometimes doubted it. He still couldn't understand why Fred had died and George hadn't. Almost every day George had to face some fresh guilt in some way or another, and today it seemed that kissing Julie was to be his reminder. He and Fred had always told each other everything. Fred's feelings for Julie had been no exception. He had confided in George that he wanted to get to know Julie better and would probably ask her out when the war was over. George had thought it was a great idea. He had never thought of Julie in that way before.

Now he was thinking of her like that and he felt as though he were betraying his brother.

George pounded the desk in frustration and then rested his forehead on his crossed arms. He knew he shouldn't feel guilty. That it wasn't his fault Fred was dead. But George couldn't help it. He felt as though Fred should be the one alive, running the store, and going crazy over Julie – not him. Fred had always been the better twin in George's eyes.

Now the question remained of what to do. George pondered it while he finished up work and then made his way upstairs to his apartment. He still hadn't figured out the answer after he had climbed into bed. He tossed and turned most of the night, still trying to figure out what to do. He knew that he had said for him and Julie to be completely open and honest with each other, but George didn't feel like this was something he could tell her. Somehow it seemed like something that he needed to work out on his own.

Finally, early in the morning, George reached the conclusion that he would see where things were going with Julie. He couldn't deny that he cared for her, and he already knew that he needed to get over his guilt. And of course he knew what Fred would have said if he could give advice right now. He would be loudly calling George stupid. George smiled wryly at the thought. The turmoil in his mind settled as his thoughts turned to memories of his brother and he finally drifted into a light, but peaceful, sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

When Julie woke up the next morning, she was in a great mood. She practically leaped out of bed, a smile already on her face, and hummed as she got dressed and ready for the day. It wasn't until after she had finished braiding her hair that it suddenly hit her – she had to go to her aunt's today.

Julie's good mood evaporated. She immediately wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep until the day was over. She knew she couldn't do that, though, and she did still want to see George. With a glance out the window to see if it was raining, Julie left her room. All she had was a quick cup of tea; the dread in her stomach left no room for food.

The walk to the shop seemed to take forever. Clouds covered the sky, but there was no precipitation, for which Julie was grateful. A light wind blew, making the air a little chilly, but Julie barely noticed. She had so many thoughts swirling through her mind that she couldn't focus on one for more than a couple seconds at a time. She switched from thinking of her aunt to thinking of George faster than a blink. Finally, just before she reached the shop door, she was grew nervous enough about seeing George that thoughts of her aunt were pushed to the back of her mind.

What would he say? What would _she_ say? What _should_ she say? Julie chewed on her bottom lip, trying to figure out how the day would go. She was excited to see George, but she wasn't sure how to act now. Things had changed overnight, and Julie was afraid that things would be awkward – even though they had decided to be open with each other. With a sigh, Julie opened the shop door and stepped inside. The door shut behind her and the peacefulness of the store enveloped her, but it didn't slow her racing heart. It was so quiet inside the store as Julie walked toward the back room that she began to wonder if George were even down from his apartment yet.

She stepped into the back room, peeking around the wall, looking to see if George were anywhere to be found. He was sitting at the desk, seemingly completely engrossed in something he was writing.

"George?"

George's head snapped up, and a grin spread across his face. He looked almost good as new, and Julie's heart rate sped up even more. "Julie!" He jumped up and hurried around the desk, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her firmly. "Good morning!" he exclaimed when he pulled away, still with his arms wrapped around Julie's waist.

"Yes, it is," Julie laughed. She slid her arms around George's waist and laid her head on his chest with a happy sigh.

"I hope that was a good sigh and not a bad one," George teased. He kissed the top of her head, then took a step back.

"Oh, it was." Julie shot a grin at him before turning to hang up her coat and scarf. She tucked her gloves into the pocket of her coat and then smoothed her hair. When she turned around to face George again, he hadn't moved. He was watching her, still smiling. "What?" Julie asked, looking away and blushing slightly.

"Nothing. Just thinking. I'm glad to see you," George said quickly. He walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of paper before Julie could even respond. "I got a letter from my mom. She wants me to come home for Christmas. Would you like to come with me?"

Julie didn't answer right away. She was taken aback and didn't know what to say. "Uhh…"

George spoke in a rush, with a concerned look on his face. "You don't have to. I just know you don't have any family – oh, unless you were going to spend the holiday with your aunt. I mean, I completely understand. It's just – my family likes you and my mom loves having a full house at Christmas and—"

"George!" Julie interrupted, laughing. "Shut up! Of course I'll come. Thank you for inviting me." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek and squeezed his arm as she walked by. She went through her usual pre-opening routine, but couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

- - - - -

The day flew by, entirely too fast for Julie's tastes. Before she knew it, she was back at the Leaky Cauldron, getting ready to go to her aunt's. She would have given anything not to have to go, especially not today when everything seemed to be going so well. Julie had a good idea of what it would be like at her aunt's house. Her father came from a long line of Dark Arts supporters and as far as Julie knew, his entire family had been supporters of Voldemort. His family was also a wealthy one, so Julie could just imagine the uptight, stuffy atmosphere of her aunt's house.

Julie dressed accordingly. She put on dress robes, not her best set, but nice ones nonetheless. After brushing out her hair, she put it up in a twist, careful that not even the smallest tendril should escape. Julie added some family jewelry which she hadn't worn since the end of the war. But if Lola was a Dark Arts supporter, she would believe Julie to be as well. Somehow Julie thought it best that Lola not know the truth, at least not yet. And so she tried to resume her act of being a faithful follower of Voldemort. Julie wasn't sure if the act was any good anymore; it hurt too much to think of the time she had spent in the company of Death Eaters. It hadn't been wasted time, but it was so much time that she could have spent with her friends. Before it was too late.

Sufficiently depressed now, Julie left the Leaky Cauldron. She figured that she was depressed enough to pass for a disappointed Voldemort supporter. It was the best she could do anyway, she told herself as she Apparated down the road from her aunt's house.

Julie walked briskly. Now that she was in the neighborhood, she just wanted to get things done and over with. It didn't take long to find Lola's house. It was the biggest, most intimidating house on the street. With a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and shaking hands, Julie pushed the black iron gate open and walked up the path to the house.

The front door opened before Julie had the chance to knock. A butler – at least, Julie assumed it was the butler – stood there in all his pompousness. "Miss Tucker, I assume?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Yes, I am Julie Tucker," Julie answered, remembering to hold herself with confidence and superiority. "I have an appointment with Lola Winchester."

"Follow me." The butler waited for Julie to enter the house before he shut the door and led the way down a long hallway. Julie followed, taking in her surroundings while being careful not to show her nervousness. The place was like a museum in a mansion. It even smelled like one, with that old, dusty smell that such places get. Julie hated it. She couldn't wait to leave. Soon she was entering a sitting room where a middle-aged woman was seated in an armchair.

Lola Rose Winchester looked exactly the way Julie imagined she would. Her pale blond hair was piled in an intricate bun on top of her head and her gray eyes seemed cold as iron. She sat erect in the chair with her ankles crossed and arms folded in her lap. She fixed Julie with an icy stare as she entered the room and Julie almost felt as though she were going to shiver.

"Julie." Lola's voice didn't match her appearance at all. It was low, smooth, and delicate. "Please, sit." She gestured to another armchair situated on the other side of a coffee table, on which was placed the tea tray and a folder of papers. After Julie had taken her seat, Lola spoke again. "I trust you had no problem finding my house."

"No, ma'am," Julie replied, managing to keep her voice from wavering. "Your directions were very clear."

"Good." Lola reached forward and poured two cups of tea, adding the desired amount of cream and sugar, before handing one cup and saucer to Julie. "I will keep this meeting brief and to the point. Your father's will," she nodded toward the thick folder, "clearly names you as the heir to all his possessions after your brother."

Julie nodded. She hadn't really doubted it. But she wished that wasn't true.

"I have had the will in my possession and my lawyer has gone through all of it. I will let you read it for yourself. But you should know that your father's house and everything in it is yours. There are some things here in my house that are yours now and you may, of course, take with you when you leave." Lola sipped her tea and stared at Julie over the rim of her cup, waiting for her to speak.

"No, please keep them here," Julie choked out, surprising herself by sounding so composed. "I am perfectly content with the way things stand." She was beginning to hope that this wouldn't be a long, drawn-out meeting. It almost seemed as though Lola were just going to hand over the will and be done with the whole thing. That's what Julie was wishing for anyway.

Lola nodded once, as though approving of Julie's response. "Very well, then. Your parents' bank account has been transferred to your name." She picked up the folder and handed it to Julie. "All the information is inside the folder. If you have any questions, my lawyer's name is inside as well. And you know how to reach me, of course."

Julie wasn't sure if she was supposed to leave or not. She had only just finished her cup of tea, so she set it on the table and waited for a further cue from her aunt.

"You have done many great services for purebloods everywhere," Lola was saying. "I want you to know how proud I am that you are my niece. You parents and brother would truly be proud of you if they had known the things you have accomplished."

Completely taken by surprise, Julie fumbled for a response. "I really…I haven't done anything."

"Of course, we all wish we could have done more." Lola sighed and looked out the window, before rising slowly. "Perhaps we will get our chance again soon."

Julie followed Lola's lead and stood, still trying to understand what "great services" her aunt thought she had done for purebloods. Julie had done nothing that she believed Lola would consider great. But she said nothing, wondering if she really wanted to know what her aunt was talking about.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, and do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything at all."

"Thank you," Julie said, feeling completely bewildered. This whole meeting had been too short, too easy.

"By the way, it might be better if you did not associate with certain people any more," Lola added, her voice sounding someone tighter. Julie looked up at her face; Lola's lips were pursed and she looked as thought something were annoying her. "Just because someone is a pureblood does not mean that they are good company."

Julie felt a rush of anger. She was able to control herself, but she felt her ears get hot and knew that they were bright red. She knew that Lola was talking specifically about George and his family. Somehow she must know or suspect that Julie was still friends with him. Julie took a deep breath and managed to keep up the façade and say calmly, "I thought it best to blend and get along with everyone."

"Perhaps, but in certain cases, this may not be the best decision. Judge wisely and know that I would be happy to advise you should you ever need it."

Her temper was making it very hard to keep from storming out of the room. Julie was glad that she had a reputation as somewhat of an airhead. She was able to flash a bland smile, murmur a goodbye, and follow the butler out of the room without revealing her true feelings.

She walked for a long time, trying to calm down and cool off. The meeting had not lasted as long as she had expected it to, but it had been very trying toward the end. Julie was furious. Nothing ever made her as angry as the opinions of Death Eaters and followers of Voldemort, especially when they trashed perfectly good people. She finally calmed down enough to Apparate back to the Leaky Cauldron. She went up to her room and sat down to look at the folder.

Julie opened it, briefly looked over the first couple of papers. They were just general information and directions for contacting Lola and her lawyer. Julie flipped through the pages that followed, not really seeing the lists of things that were now her possessions. When she reached the last page in the folder, she was jerked out of her thoughts when her eyes caught sight of a name.

Fred Weasley.

The folder and papers scattered on the floor as Julie jumped up and ran down the stairs, tears streaming down her face. There was only one person she wanted to see now, but she didn't know if he would want to see her when she told him what she had just learned.

She didn't know what she would do if that happened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading - I hope you are enjoying the story. If you are reading this story, please please please (yes, I'm begging) review, even if it's only to let me know that you're reading. It gives me more motivation to write/update! I'm getting a few hits, but I'd love to hear from some *cough*all*cough* of you! Unless you write, you have no idea how much a simple "Hi, I'm reading" can mean. Thanks!**

Julie was standing outside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She had run the whole way and was now trying to gain her composure while she debated whether or not to go see George. It wasn't really that late, around nine o'clock, so there wasn't much of a chance that he would be in bed yet. Julie just wasn't sure what to say or how to tell him about the contents of the folder. Fresh tears streamed down her face when she pictured that last piece of paper.

It was a list. A list of every single person that her family had killed, as if it were something to be proud of. So many names were written there, written in fancy script as though it were some kind of special certificate or official document. Many names that Julie recognized were written on that piece of paper, as well as some she didn't. But the one name that had jumped out at her and was now causing her heart to feel as though it were breaking was Fred Weasley.

Julie felt as though she would be sick. Her own family, her own brother, was responsible for the death of one of her best friends. The guilt was almost overwhelming, and Julie momentarily felt as if she couldn't cry anymore because of it. She had never even thought of the possibility. Julie knew well enough that her family was not made up of good people, and she knew that her father and brother had been at Hogwarts that last fateful night. But for some reason, the thought had never crossed her mind that out of all the Death Eaters that had been there, it had been her own father or brother responsible for Fred's death.

Somehow, Julie found herself standing outside of George's apartment door. She felt so out of it that she didn't even remember entering the stop and climbing the stairs. When the door was flung open in front of her, Julie realized she must have knocked, as well. George was standing there, a grin on his face.

"Jules!" But the grin disappeared almost instantly. It was replaced by a deeply concerned look, and George took Julie's arm and gently pulled her inside. "Julie, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"George," Julie whispered and closed her eyes. She wasn't crying at the moment, but there was a tight knot in her through and she felt like she couldn't speak.

"Julie, you are as white as a ghost and you're shaking." George put his hands on her shoulders. "Open your eyes and tell me what's wrong."

"Please hold me." Julie spoke so softly she wasn't even sure if George could hear her and she didn't open her eyes to see. But soon she was being pulled close and warm arms were wrapped around her. Julie didn't move, but she was soon calmed by George's presence and when he pulled away, Julie felt as though she could speak. She looked up at his face, lined with worry.

"Now, you had better tell me what's going on, because you're scaring me," George told her firmly. He gently led her over to his couch and sat down next to her. "Does this have to do with your aunt?"

"Yes." Julie couldn't bring herself to look at George. She didn't know how to say what she needed to. She was afraid to say it because she didn't want to hurt him, and because she didn't know how he would react. She was afraid of losing him. For a moment she considered not even telling him, but she felt like she needed to. "The will…everything is mine."

"What?" George looked thoroughly confused.

Julie took a deep breath and started at the beginning. "My parents and brother are dead. My father left his will with his sister, my Aunt Lola, whom I had never met before today. The reason she needed me to come was so she give me the will and explain it to me. I own everything now."

"Go on." He knew there had to be more to it than that, because something like that wouldn't have upset Julie this much. "I'm listening."

"Well…she told me not to associate with you." Julie was just stalling now. She wanted to put off the inevitable as long as possible.

"And since when do you do anything someone tells you to when you don't want to?" George teased, then suddenly frowned. Was that why she was upset? Did she really not want to have anything to do with him anymore? "Julie, if you—"

Almost as if she could read his mind, Julie shook her head and said, "No, George, that's not it." She took a deep breath, feeling quite resigned now. She looked down at her lap and closed her eyes. "I'm so afraid to tell you…I don't want to lose you." George suddenly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. Julie sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying it while it lasted. Finally she gently pushed him away and whispered, "George…my brother…he was at Hogwarts…that night."

George only nodded as his eyes clouded over.

Julie was trying to think of a way to say it gently, but wasn't sure if there was one. Her voice was just a strangled whispered when she said, "He…my brother is the one that killed your brother." Tears came to her eyes again and she finally looked up at George.

She felt as though her heart, which was already broken, was being torn out of her chest when she saw the look on his face. He pulled away from her and Julie didn't resist. He clenched his jaw and his hands before standing and walking across the room toward his bedroom. George turned to face Julie once, staring into her eyes with an unreadable expression, but then continued into his bedroom and shut the door.

Julie covered her face with her hands and sobbed. This was worse than she had thought it would be. It would have been easier if George had yelled at her or said he'd never wanted to see her. But for her to see that look on his face…Julie knew she would never forget it and never forgive herself for being the one to cause that pain. The guilt which had been so heavy earlier was unbearable now, and Julie had to get away.

She stood, still crying, but silently now. She walked over to stand just outside George's door. It was silent in his room. Julie was worried about him, but she knew he didn't want to see her, so she left him alone. She put her palm on the door and murmured, "I'm sorry, George," before leaving the apartment, not even knowing where she was going as she left the store.

- - - - -

George shut the bedroom door and leaned against it, sliding to the floor. Of all the things he was expecting Julie to say, this was nowhere even close. He was in so much pain emotionally that it was causing physical pain, and he buried his face in his hands. He didn't even know what he was feeling. Maybe anger, maybe sadness, maybe guilt – maybe all of that and more. There was too much feeling to know what for sure.

He had to deal with the old pain of thinking about Fred, but now he also had the fresh pain of knowing that Julie's brother was the one who had done it. Robert Tucker, whom Fred and George had known at Hogwarts, even though he was a couple of years ahead of them. George was having trouble coming to grips with it. He had wanted someone to blame for so long, and now here he found that the person was dead.

For a split second he blamed Julie. But then he acknowledged that was a stupid thing to do. She had had nothing to do with it and it wasn't her fault in any way. But George still couldn't bring himself to go back out and talk to her. He still didn't know exactly what he was feeling. He heard her sobbing where he had left her on the couch, and George felt a small twinge of guilt for that, but he decided it would be better to just stay here so they could both work out their own emotions before having to deal with each other's. This didn't stop him from wanting to go out there and hold her almost more than he'd ever wanted anything.

A few moments later, his breathing slowed. The clamor in his head, the utter chaos from all the emotions that were plaguing him, quieted somewhat and George could think a little more clearly now. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door. As he did so, he realized he couldn't hear Julie's sobs anymore, and he listened harder.

Quiet footsteps approached and stopped right outside the door. She was standing right there – why didn't she come in? George waited to hear Julie put her hand on the knob and turn it, but the sound never came. Instead he heard a quiet, "I'm sorry, George," just before his apartment door opened and shut.

George didn't follow her. He didn't move at all. If she wanted to leave, he wouldn't stop her. She was probably disgusted with his reaction now. George didn't know how to explain himself, so he just let her go.

Some time later, it could have been minutes or hours, George stood and got ready for bed. His movements were all mechanical. He hardly knew what he was doing. He sat down on the edge of his bed and again buried his face in his hands. He didn't know why he had reacted so strongly to the news Julie had brought. It just hadn't been at all what he had been expecting.

Suddenly he wanted to see Julie more than ever. He wanted to comfort her and draw comfort from her. He even stood and began to hurry out of his room before he realized that it was very late now. Julie was probably back at the Leaky Cauldron asleep. George sighed and decided to get some sleep himself, if he could. He climbed into bed and tried not to worry about Julie. He would see her tomorrow and be able to set things straight then.


	11. Chapter 11

George did not see Julie the next day.

He hardly slept that night and was up very early the next morning. He busied himself around the shop, using the time in the early morning to get little things done so that no one would have to bother with them later in the day. George was just finishing dusting the shelves – manually, rather than magically, just for something to do – when he realized it was time to open the shop and Julie hadn't arrived.

She had never not shown up for work before. George wasn't the kind of person to be overly strict with his employees, so it wouldn't have been a big deal if it were anyone else. Julie had never missed work or really been late without notice before. George was worried. He had been eagerly waiting for her to come in so that they could talk. He still hadn't worked out all of his emotions, but he felt as though he were ready to talk to Julie – as though he needed to talk to her. At least if they could talk things over, maybe they would have a better idea of where the other stood.

But the shop opened and the morning dragged on, and still Julie was missing.

George's whole day was ruined. He was glad for Grace's help. Since it was Saturday, it was a little busier than usual. George's mind was not focused on the shop at all. He was still thinking about what Julie had told him the night before, and wondering where she was today. He really wanted to know if she was okay. She hadn't left any kind of word, no owls came as the day wore on, and George only grew more and more worried about her.

By the end of the day, George was so distracted that he couldn't even count the money. He sat at the desk in the back room and pretended to be working on paperwork until Grace finished the cleaning and left. Almost as soon as the door closed behind her, George leaped up and took off toward the Leaky Cauldron. He reached it in record time, and approached Tom as soon as he entered.

"Tom, is Julie here?"

"No," Tom answered, not even looking up from wiping the bar counter.

"Do you know where she is?" George rested both arms on the counter and leaned toward the bartender. "Where did she go? When will she be back? Is she okay?"

"One question at a time," Tom interrupted, holding up a hand. Finally he looked up at George. "She left last night, came back early this morning to pay her bill and tell me she was leaving, and I haven't seen her since. She was very upset about something, but as far as I know she was okay." Tom gave George a look. "If you have done anything to upset Julie—"

She was gone? George didn't know what to think. "Do you know where she went?"

"No. But I wouldn't tell you even if I did," Tom replied, folding his arms. He was still fixing a stern look on George.

"Fine. Which room was she staying in?"

"It doesn't matter." Tom shrugged. "She took all her things with her when she left and the room has been cleaned since then. You won't find anything there."

"Thank you." George spoke the words almost without realizing it and turned to leave. He called over his shoulder, "If you hear from Julie, please tell her that I need to talk to her." Then he walked back out into the cold evening air and headed back to his apartment, his thoughts churning.

Where could she have gone?

- - - - -

Julie hated to be in this place, but she had to get away, and she couldn't think of anywhere else to go where George wouldn't find her. As she laid her suitcase on her bed and flicked her wand so that her trunk landed lightly at the foot of the bed, Julie looked around her old room. Being home made her feel like a child again, even though no one else was there. The room being decorated in a pale pink didn't help the feeling.

Slowly unpacking, Julie tried not to think of the events of the night before. After she had left George's apartment, she'd gone down into the store and sat at his desk for a little while just to think. She had actually fallen asleep sitting there and woken up early in the morning. After leaving a quick note for George just to let him know that she was going away for a while and wouldn't be at work, Julie had made a quick stop at the Leaky Cauldron to pick up her things before heading home.

No, not really home. Julie couldn't think of this house as home anymore, not really. She had spent most of her life in it, but had felt so out of place in the last couple of years that she had felt strange about coming back. Julie wasn't sure where home was anymore, but it most certainly wasn't this house. She finished unpacking and wandered around for a while, just thinking.

She ended up in the sitting room. It wasn't a large house, but the sitting room was spacious and had always been Julie's favorite room in the house, after her bedroom. As long as she could ignore all the Dark Arts paraphernalia around the room, it was a very nice place to be. The room was decorated in forest green and had a whole wall devoted to full-length windows. A baby grand piano sat just across the room from the doorway and Julie immediately walked over and sat down.

For several moments she sat in silence, but she slowly started playing. Her playing was tentative at first, but gradually grew stronger and more confident and soon she started singing. Julie played song after song, pouring her emotion into it and letting the tears course freely down her face. Julie's piano was her most prized possession and had always been a form of release for her.

The sun was setting when Julie finally stopped and went to the kitchen in search of food. She had opened three cabinets before she realized that there was no food in the house because no one had been living in it for several months.

With a sigh, Julie went back to her room to get her purse and some money to go buy some food. She was pleased to find her secret stash of money inside her desk was untouched. After pulling some out and putting it in her purse, Julie was about to shut the drawer when her eyes fell on a picture of Fred and George Weasley. Her heart caught and she froze for a moment. Then she pulled it out and held it in the waning light to see it better.

They were both waving boisterously and cheerfully up at her from the photo, which had been taken not long after Julie had first started working at the store. The twins were standing behind the counter with a new product, grinning and showing it off. Julie closed her eyes and sighed, remembering those days. She didn't cry, but she could feel the tears in her throat as she set the photo on her desk and sank into her chair.

"Oh, George," she whispered, resting her elbow on the desk and her head in her hand. Julie didn't know what to do. She wanted so badly to talk to George, but she felt so guilty for all the pain she had caused him and was sure that he wanted nothing to do with her. "I'm sorry, George. If only you could know how sorry I am…"

Julie didn't know how long it was before she finally stood and left the house to find the nearest place to eat. It was dark now, and very cold outside. A few snowflakes began to fall just as Julie walked into a coffee shop. She barely ate, but forced herself to eat something just because she knew she needed it. Julie ordered a muffin to take home for her breakfast the next day.

When she got back to the house, Julie sat down at her desk again and pulled out a sheet of parchment. After only a second of thought, she wrote:

_Dear George,_

_I'm sorry for the pain I caused. I would_

_have given anything not to have to tell you_

_what I did, but I had to._

_I know you don't want to see me right now. _

_It wouldn't surprise me if you never wanted _

_to see me again. So for now I will stay away,_

_which means I will not be coming in to work._

_Someday I hope we can be friends again._

Julie signed it and prepared it for mailing. She wasn't sure if she wanted to send it. Maybe she had better just leave things alone for now. Maybe she was being overdramatic about it. Julie just didn't know what to think and tried to sort it out while she prepared for bed. She hadn't reached any conclusion by the time her head hit the pillow, except that she would go ahead and send her letter the next morning.

Tossing and turning that night, Julie knew that she at least wanted George to know that she was going to respect his feelings. Even if she was being overdramatic, Julie felt it was better to ere that way than to not send the letter. Just to be on the safe side, she wanted to tell George exactly where she stood, since she wanted to be completely honest with him.

Julie got almost no sleep that night. It was very early in the morning when she finally understood that she was not losing sleep so much because of what she had discovered about Robert killing Fred. That knowledge was upsetting and it would take some time for her to recover from it. But what really worried her was the pain she knew she was sure to have caused George and her inability to do anything about it. She wanted to see him, to hold him, to try to comfort him. But she didn't know where their relationship stood, in any sense of the word, and that was the reason she wasn't sleeping well.

She set off for the post office as soon as she woke the next morning, trying to decide whether to tell George she was at her parents' house or not.

**A/N: Sorry there's not so much dialogue in this chapter. I just started writing and this is what came out! I think it does emphasize their loneliness, though. Let me know what you think. If you absolutely hate it, I will do my best not to ever write another chapter like it again – and maybe even revise this one. But if you like it or don't mind it or whatever, also let me know. **

**And I hope you had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Humongous, gigantic thanks go to CG Anna Marie, who reviewed the last two chapters and was a big encouragement because I thought maybe people hated my story or were just NOT reading it but she apparently likes it a lot, so I feel a lot better now. (I'm also on a sugar high, so very hyper at the moment.) I'm at the point in my story now where it's all unfolding very easily in my head, and that's when writing is a LOT more fun, so expect lots of updates in the next few days. For now...enjoy!**

In the end, she had done it – told George she was at her parents' house. She hadn't written it in so many words, but she had put it on the envelope as the return address. That way he would know where she was if he ever wanted to talk to her again, but, Julie hoped, he wouldn't feel obligated to contact her. And he didn't. Days went by and Julie fell into a routine of cleaning the house, room by room. She wasn't sure whether she was relieved or disappointed when she didn't hear from George. At first Julie half-expected him to come marching through the door or something, but that wore off after the first couple of days. She still thought of George often, but didn't expect to be seeing him again anytime soon.

The house was large with many rooms that had been unused for years, even before her family had died. Julie was kept busy enough, not using much magic, that her thoughts couldn't overwhelm her, and she fell into bed exhausted at night. After a week, she sent a couple of letters to some old friends from school. She had always been kind of a loner, but there were a few people she had been close to at Hogwarts. Being cooped up in the house all alone made Julie long for some kind of human contact. She ended up meeting a couple of friends for tea to get caught up, and Julie enjoyed the time with people she hadn't talked to for months.

December came, along with colder weather. Almost the whole house was clean now, and Julie was wondering what she would do once she was finished cleaning. The answer came one day in a letter from one of her closest friends from Hogwarts, Louise Miller, who invited her to stay with her family for a week before Christmas. Julie eagerly accepted, glad to get away and have some distractions. Within days, she was packed and Apparated to the Millers' back yard.

Louise came running out the back door, arms open, and engulfed Julie in a hug. "Julie, it's great to see you!" She pulled back with a smile and held Julie at arm's length. "Have you lost weight? You look thin. I mean, you were always thin, but you look thinner than usual. Mom will have something to say about that."

Julie laughed. Mrs. Miller was everything that Julie had wished her own mother had been. "Maybe I am, but I'm fine. After all, it's been a long time since we last saw each other! How are things?"

"Wonderful!" Louise started leading Julie toward the house. "Dennis and I are getting married!"

"Married?!" Julie squealed and gave Louise a sideways hug. "I knew you two were meant for each other. When is the wedding?"

"In March," Louise answered excitedly. She stopped Julie just outside the back door and looked at her. "Will you be in it? It's just going to be a small one with family and close friends. But I don't have any sisters and you're my closest friend."

Julie was temporarily speechless. She stood blinking at Louise and not saying anything for a moment. Louise's excited expression gave way to a concerned one and finally Julie realized she needed to say something. "I…well, yes, I will!" She laughed and hugged Louise again. "Thank you. I would be honored to be in your wedding."

"Good. Dennis will be glad to hear it." Louise reached for the door and opened it, motioning for Julie to precede her into the house. "He already asked his best man a month ago."

"Amazing that he would be ready before you," Julie teased, stepping into the warm kitchen and loosening the scarf she had wrapped around her neck. "Who is going to be his best man?"

"Me."

At the sound of the familiar voice, Julie whirled around, eyes wide. The last person she had expected to be standing in the Millers' kitchen was in front of her, watching her warily. "George?" Julie said, in a voice barely above a whisper. She felt frozen. She had no idea what to say or do.

George only nodded.

Louise didn't notice a thing out of the ordinary. She started talking again about what wedding plans had been made and all that still needed to be done. After a few minutes, she took Julie's suitcase from her and led her toward the stairs, still talking. Julie brushed by George without meeting his eyes and followed Louise to her bedroom, setting her suitcase on the twin bed closest to the door.

"I'm so excited. This will be just like old times," Louise was saying now as she sank onto her own bed. "Remember the times you came here for holidays? We had so much fun."

"Yeah, your brothers were still home and enjoyed tormenting us," Julie answered, managing a smile. She sat on her bed, facing Louise. "I didn't know George and Dennis were friends."

"Oh, yeah." Louise shrugged. "They've been friends their whole lives." Louise grew serious and eyed Julie carefully when she said, "Dennis was actually very good friends with Fred, but he has gotten close to George in the past several months." Louise was one of the few who had known of the arrangement for Julie to work at the Weasleys' store, and the only one who had known how Julie had felt about Fred.

Julie only nodded. "I guess that makes sense. Is George staying with you?"

"Yes, he's staying in Cody's old room. Since Dennis's house is full to overflowing with family," Louise laughed, "my parents offered to let George stay here for a week. We're going to be doing a lot of wedding planning this week." Louise was bubbling with excitement again and began rattling off ideas for the wedding. Julie half-listened, but her mind was really focused on the redhead who would be staying just down the hall from her for a week – a very long week, Julie was afraid.

- - - - -

The first couple of days weren't bad. Julie barely saw George because he spent so much time with Dennis while Julie and Louise got caught up and picked out Julie's dress and narrowed down Louise's selections for her own dress. But Julie's peaceful vacation ended first thing on the third day.

She woke to Mrs. Miller knocking on the bedroom door. She cracked the door open and poked her head in. "Girls, you should get up now. The boys are here for breakfast and they really want to eat!"

Julie sat up slowly so that Mrs. Miller would know she was awake, and tossed her pillow at Louise with no results. Julie shook her head with a wry smile and said, "I'll get her up Mrs. Miller. We'll be down before too long."

It took several minutes for Julie to wake Louise up. She finally had to threaten to march downstairs and bring Dennis up. Louise practically leaped out of bed then, refusing to allow Dennis to see her looking like she did. Julie just laughed.

"Louise, you're marrying the guy! He's going to see what you look like in the morning soon enough," Julie teased as they both dressed and brushed their hair.

"Maybe, but at least then he'll be stuck with me, regardless of how I look!" Louise was still feeling slightly frantic. She was rushing around the room, trying to settle on an outfit.

"As if he would have it any other way," Julie replied. Finally she grabbed Louise's arm. "You look fine – beautiful, in fact. Let's go downstairs so everyone can eat."

Louise nodded and followed Julie out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Julie noticed that Louise calmed down somewhat on the way down, and when Julie turned to look at her as they entered the kitchen, Louise looked excited now rather than anxious. Louise practically flew across the room and into Dennis's arms as soon as they entered the room and Julie couldn't help but laugh. But then her eyes darted to George, who was watching her closely, and the laugh disappeared. Julie didn't blame Louise – after all, Julie wanted more than anything to be able to do the same to George.

Finally they all settled down around the table. Somehow Julie ended up sitting next to George. She managed to carry on normal conversation whenever spoken to, but every second she was very aware of him sitting less than a foot away from her. Every move he made, Julie sensed. She forced herself not to look over at him, to pretend he wasn't there. That was the only way she got through a very long breakfast.

Julie wasn't sure how she was going to make it through a day of planning for the wedding with George there every second.


	13. Chapter 13

Julie could only think of a few other times that she had been so relieved to see the end of a day. By dinner time she was so worn out from trying to act normal that she barely even noticed the food that Mrs. Miller served even as she ate it. In order to avoid George, Julie offered to clean up after dinner. Louise helped for a little while, but when there were only a few dishes left to dry, Julie shooed her friend away, wanting to have a few minutes to herself while she could.

She enjoyed the quiet in the kitchen for several seconds, but it didn't last long. She was just setting another dry dish on the table when George entered the kitchen, carrying two empty mugs. Julie quickly turned to the drainer to get another bowl, glad for the excuse not to have to face George. She hoped he would just leave the mugs in the sink and leave again.

No such luck. George slowly began to wash the mugs. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Julie dried the same dish the whole time, not even noticing. Her mind was entirely focused on George.

Finally, so quietly that Julie could barely hear, George said, "I've missed you, Jules."

Julie swallowed hard, even though her mouth was dry. That was not what she had expected him to say at all. It was a few seconds before Julie finally spoke. "Me, too," she whispered, still not looking at him.

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I didn't think you wanted me to." Julie was still whispering, unable to find her voice. She held the bowl in her hands, but wasn't even pretending to dry it anymore while she stared at it to avoid George's eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?" George sounded genuinely surprised.

Julie shrugged and swallowed again. "Why would you?" she returned. It made perfect sense to her, why did George want her to explain it all? "You didn't write back to me, anyway. I figured that said it all."

George was silent for several seconds. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"The note and the letter." In her peripheral vision, Julie could see George had turned to look at her closely, but Julie didn't move. "I never heard from you about either."

"I didn't get a note _or_ a letter," George said quietly.

Julie shrugged, but didn't say anything. She wasn't sure where George was going with this. If he was trying to relieve himself of any responsibility for not contacting her, it wasn't necessary, in Julie's opinion. She couldn't believe that he was trying to make her feel guilty, but if he was, that also wasn't necessary. Julie already felt more guilty than she could express.

"If you wrote me a letter, I didn't get it," George repeated. "I've been going crazy for weeks trying to figure out where you were. I've been worried sick about you, Julie. Why didn't you try to get in touch with me again?"

Finally a single tear coursed down Julie's cheek, and she leaned her head forward so that her hair would hide her face. "I'm not going to force you to talk to me when you hate me," she whispered.

Suddenly, she was being crushed against George and he was kissing her firmly. Julie didn't think – she couldn't think. She didn't even notice when she dropped the bowl she had been holding and it crashed on the tile floor. Julie put her hands on George's shoulders and pushed him away gently, a confused look on her face.

"Didn't you hear anything I just said?" George asked in a husky voice, sounding frustrated. "I told you I've been going crazy without you and I was worried sick. How in the world did you get the idea that I hate you?"

"I…I…but I thought—" Julie stuttered. She was still having trouble thinking. But she didn't get the chance to finish her sentence anyway, because George pulled her close and pressed his lips against hers again. Julie gave in and kissed back, wrapping her arms around him.

"What happened? Are you okay? Oh!"

George and Julie shot apart at the sound of Louise's voice. Julie tried to pull away, but George kept a firm hold on her waist as he turned to look at Louise. Louise was obviously flustered and didn't know what to say. She sputtered over her words for a minute, her face turning red, while George grinned at her amusedly. Finally she managed to say, "We, um, heard a crash and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Julie was sure her face was just as red as Louise's. "I just, um, dropped a bowl," she muttered, still half-heartedly trying to pull away from George. He didn't loosen his grip at all and Julie finally gave up. "I'm sorry, I'll clean it up."

"Okay. Well. As long as you're all right." Louise cleared her throat before spinning around to leave the kitchen. She called over her shoulder, "You have a lot of explaining to do, missy!"

Closing her eyes in embarrassment, Julie rested her forehead on George's shoulder. It was then that she realized George was shaking with silent laughter. She looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering what on earth he could be laughing about when she was ready to die of embarrassment. He was grinning down at her and blinked innocently when she glared at him.

"Still think I hate you?" George teased, leaning down to kiss her neck before Julie shoved him away.

"So now you're just trying to kill me by embarrassing me?" Julie demanded, feigning anger to cover up her true feelings.

"Does that mean you are embarrassed to be seen with me?" George tilted his head to the side, still grinning with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Not to be seen with you, just to be seen – just when people catch us – " Julie's blush deepened and she stomped her foot. "You know what I mean!"

George was laughing out loud now. Julie couldn't understand what was so funny. Sure, she wasn't angry for real, but she certainly wasn't amused. She was still very embarrassed and didn't know how she was going to explain everything to Louise later. Julie fixed George with a stern look and then bent down to clean up the bowl fragments on the floor. After she threw them away, she went back to the drainer to finish drying, ignoring George.

"You can't ignore me forever," George whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "We have some talking to do. Remember we promised to be totally open and honest with each other?"

Julie couldn't believe he was bringing that up now. After not hearing from him for such a long time and being convinced that she never _would_ hear from him, she was totally confused by his actions this evening. "Yeah, but…that was before—"

"Nothing has changed on my side." George was still whispering in her ear, giving Julie goose bumps. "And unless you've changed your mind, we still need to talk." When Julie didn't say anything, George chuckled. "Want to take a walk after we're done with the dishes?"

Julie nodded, not trusting her voice. George was being too amazing for it to be real. Was she dreaming? But when he gently pressed his lips against her neck again, giving her more goose bumps, Julie was convinced that it wasn't a dream. George pulled away and they finished the dishes in silence, but Julie saw him shooting glances at her. She refused to look at him, and was glad for the excuse to go upstairs for warm clothes before the walk so she could escape him for a few minutes.

Julie was just pulling on some warm boots when Louise entered the bedroom, positioned herself in front of the door with crossed arms, and demanded, "Explain."

"I'm supposed to be going on a walk with George," Julie feebly muttered, trying to get out of it, but Louise wasn't allowing it. She shook her head and stared at Julie pointedly, until finally Julie huffed. "Okay, fine. When I was staying in the Leaky Cauldron, I worked at the joke shop again with George. We both realized that we had feelings for each other and we were going to take things slowly. But then I moved back to my parents' house and didn't hear from him until I saw him here."

Louise shook her head and eyed Julie. "That's not the whole story, you can't fool me. How come you went back to your parents' house? And most of all, how come you didn't hear from him until now? I mean, by the way he was kissing you, I would think he would never let you out of his sight!" Louise teased.

Julie blushed. "I…well, I found out something that affected both of us. Something bad about my family. So I thought he hated me after that, but…"

"I guess you were wrong." Louise smiled and walked over to hug Julie tightly. "You don't have to tell me all the details of your story, but you should know that it's been a long time since I've seen George looking as happy as he looked with you."

"Thanks." Julie smiled back at Louise. "I'll tell you all the details later, but George and I are going on a walk so we can talk things over. We both have a lot of talking to do."

"I understand." Louise grinned teasingly again. "Enjoy your walk."

Julie just made a face at her before leaving the room and hurrying downstairs to meet George at the back door.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I see I have more reviews! Thank you all so much. I don't have time to read them right now, I only have a few minutes to spare and I thought you would probably rather I update than read through and reply to all my reviews. ^_^ I will get to them, I promise, but probably not until tomorrow. THANKS FOR REVIEWING and thank you to ALL who are reading!**

George couldn't stop grinning. He had lost hope after not hearing from Julie for weeks, but now suddenly they had been thrown together again and she didn't seem to be mad at him at all – confused, yes, but not mad. And George had his own share of questions that he needed to ask her. Could it all have been just a big misunderstanding? He supposed they had both been hurting and unable to think straight.

He stood by the back door, leaning against the counter while he waited for Julie to come back downstairs. George had been nervous when he first saw Julie two days ago, but that nervousness had evaporated in the last several minutes. She hadn't changed; she was the same old Julie that he knew and loved.

Loved? George pondered that for a minute. Then he heard Julie's footsteps on the stairs and decided he'd have to think about it more later. Julie came into the kitchen, still blushing prettily, and only glanced at him once as she made her way to the door. George chuckled and pulled her into his arms as she tried to walk by him.

"Relax, I'm not going to bite," he told her, kissing her cheek before pulling away to open the door for her. George didn't let go of her hand as they stepped out into the cold night. He didn't ever want to let go of her again.

-.-.-.-.-

They didn't speak until they had left the back yard. Julie relished the feel of her hand wrapped tightly in George's. She looked up at the sky to see bright stars twinkling down at them and smiled. Could this night get any better? As they stepped out of the fenced-in back yard and into the field behind the house, Julie gently squeezed George's hand, urging him to talk first.

He understood and asked, "Where did you go?"

"I went to my parents' house." Julie followed his lead toward the woods on the edge of the field. "I left a note on your desk that I wasn't going to be at work, and then I left."

"I never even saw the note." George shook his head sadly.

"Well, it didn't say where I was going or anything," Julie admitted. "But I did write a letter when I got to my parents' house."

"Didn't get that one either."

"That's strange." Julie mulled over this for a bit, then spoke again, quieter this time, "I was just so afraid that you hated me. I didn't want to come back if you did, and when I didn't get any letter from you I thought that you probably didn't want to talk to me."

"Julie, I could never hate you," George said softly. He let go of her hand to slide his arm around her waist. "I needed some time to sort through my feelings, but I was ready to talk again the next morning. But when you didn't come in…I was so worried about you, Jules, you have no idea."

"I'm sorry." Julie sighed. "So much for being open and honest. I guess I convinced myself that it was best if I just left."

George nodded. "Well…maybe in the end, it was. I guess we'll never know."

"But all that time, all that wasted time." Julie shook her head. She'd learned never to take a single second for granted, and now she felt as though the past several weeks without George had been a complete waste.

"Don't think about it like that," George told her, stopping to look her in the eye. He put his hands on her shoulders and spoke earnestly. "We both did a lot of thinking in that time, and dealt with what we needed to deal with. I'm just so glad you're here with me now." He pulled Julie into a tight hug, and she smiled to herself, squeezing him tightly. "I never want to lose you again. You're my best friend; I can't stand being away from you."

"Same goes for me." Julie tilted her head back to look up at George. "I promise I won't ever just leave like that again. I'll talk things through with you before I do anything crazy, even if I do think you hate me."

George laughed and kissed her softly. "And I promise never to hate you! I promise not to shut myself away like that again, but to talk to you. That's what we should have done – just talked to each other. Even if it was to say, 'I need a day or two before I can talk to you about this.'"

"Yeah. At least then we would have known what was going on." Julie sighed and frowned. They still hadn't talked about what had caused all that in the first place, and it was still a heavy weight on Julie's heart. Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered, "I'm sorry, George."

"We're together now, that's what matters."

Julie shook her head, but didn't say anything. She wasn't sure she'd be able to speak. She looked away and bit her bottom lip, trying not to cry.

George's eyes widened when he understood what she meant. "Oh, Jules, don't apologize for that." He shook his head, a sad look on his face. "It's not your fault. I'm not saying it's not painful, but you shouldn't feel responsible. Understand?"

"But, it was my brother," Julie whispered, still unable to believe it.

"Exactly." George placed his fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "It was your _brother_, not _you_. You couldn't control Robert's actions anymore than I could. I know that and you know that. I don't blame you and you need to stop blaming yourself."

The tears spilled out of Julie's eyes but she smiled. "You're right, of course."

"I'm always right," George replied, making Julie laugh. "Now, you need to stop crying because your tears will freeze on your face if you don't."

Julie laughed again and reached up to wipe away her tears. "Again, you're right."

"Like I said, always right." George smiled down at her and didn't speak again for several seconds. When he did, it was in a quiet, serious tone of voice. "So you inherited everything, huh?"

"Yes." Julie stared off into the distance. "I don't really care. I'd rather just not have to deal with any of it."

"But at least you have a place to live and a secure future," George encouraged.

"That's true." Julie shrugged and smiled. "Maybe I just need to do some redecorating and then I'll feel better about it. I have a lot of stuff to get rid of. And my aunt said that there were even things at her house that I own now."

George whistled. "Wow. So I guess you are one rich lady now."

Julie scrunched up her nose and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Don't describe me like that." She frowned. "There was something else my aunt said. Something about my doing a great service for purebloods or something. It didn't make any sense. It's kind of been bugging me."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. I mean, you came from a great wizarding family," George said with a lot of exaggeration, "so that might be all she was referring to. And your family…well, they did a lot."

They were both silent, wrapped up in their own thoughts for a minute. Then Julie whispered, "I miss Fred a lot. Sometimes I still expect him to walk into the store and start cracking jokes." She looked up at George and caressed his cheek. "I can only imagine how it feels for you."

The look on Julie's face was utter sadness, and tears sprang into George's eyes for the first time. He refused to let them spill. "It hasn't been easy. It still isn't. But it's a lot better now that I have you. You have helped more than you know." He leaned down to kiss Julie softly, regaining his composure. He smiled and nodded in the direction of the house. "Would you like to walk back now?"

"I think so. I'm getting a little cold." Julie knew that she would be a lot colder if it weren't for George's warm arms around her and she smiled at the thought. Almost as though George knew what she was thinking, he smiled back and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they made their way back to the house.

"It looks like it might snow," George commented just as they reached the back yard again.

Julie's eyes lit up. "I hope it does, I love snow." She eyed the sky excitedly. "Wouldn't it be fun if it snowed while we were here?"

George laughed and nodded. They had arrived at the back door, but George stopped and turned to face Julie again. He had a concerned look on his face. "You are still coming to visit my family at Christmastime, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Julie replied firmly.

In answer, George kissed her again before they reentered the warmth of the kitchen.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Thank you a million times to romancerox3, CG Anna Marie, and Citlali Angeni for their reviews. Especially romancerox3 - thanks for letting me know that my story was listed under the wrong category (must have hit the wrong thing category by accident!) and for suggesting a better summary. I would have replied to your review but there was no reply link. CG Anna Marie, your reviews are always so enthusiastic! Thanks so much! Citlali Angeni, I hope you will keep reading!**

**Thanks to EVERYONE who reads, and if you are reading, please review. I can't tell you how much I appreciate them!**

No one could help but to notice the difference between George and Julie over the remainder of the week. The first part of the week whenever they saw each other, they acting like they didn't know each other. But after the walk, they obviously couldn't get enough of spending time together. They were fine on their own, but when they were together it almost seemed as though there had been something missing before that wasn't now.

It didn't snow during the rest of their visit. Julie was disappointed, but she knew there was plenty of time left in the winter for snow. She and Louise got caught up and felt like they had never been apart. A lot of the planning for the wedding was finished by the time Julie left and they made tentative plans for Julie to come back the beginning of March and stay with the Millers until the wedding in the middle of the month.

Julie wanted more than anything for the week to never end, but it did. She managed not to cry when she said goodbye and then Apparated back to her parents' house, after promising George that she would see him the next morning at work. The house was cold and empty when she walked in, but it didn't seem as bad as before, now that Julie had a better outlook on life. She immediately started making plans for redecorating and even began to get excited about it.

Time flew. There was only a week and a half until Christmas. George was planning to keep the joke shop open through Christmas Eve, then that evening he and Julie would go to his family's house and stay through the New Year. The shop was incredibly busy with people buying Christmas presents and kids off from school. Even when she wasn't at work, Julie was kept busy trying to find the perfect gifts for George's family. It was hard since she didn't know the other members of the Weasley family very well, but in the end Julie was pleased with her gifts and spend the night before Christmas Eve wrapping.

Julie had bough Ginny an emerald green scarf that was sure to set off her red hair – girls were so easy to shop for. Julie struggled with what to get for Charlie and Ron, but finally bought each of them a boxful of assorted candies. Bill and Fleur were going to get a set of towels with a customized design Julie had picked out of an intertwining _B_ and _F_ surrounded by flowers. Julie knew Bill probably wouldn't care, but hoped that Fleur would like them.

The hardest ones to choose gifts for had been Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and George. After a lot of thinking and a last-minute trip to the store, Julie settled on an expandable photo family tree for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. The tree could be hung up on a wall and a new branch added for each person. Julie had also managed to get pictures of the Weasley family and put them in. She liked the idea and hoped the Weasleys would, too.

It wasn't until that night that Julie really decided what to give George. She had gotten him a pair of dragon skin gloves, but she really wanted to get him something that had some meaning behind it. While she was looking in her desk for a pen, Julie found again the picture of Fred and George and knew immediately that she would give it to George. She searched the house from top to bottom for the perfect frame and wrapped it. Then she finished packing and crashed into bed, hoping that she had made all the right gift choices.

.-.-.-.-.-.

If Julie had thought that Christmas Eve would be slower at the joke shop, she was sorely mistaken. If anything, it was the most hectic day she had ever experienced. But it was also a lot of fun. The excitement of Christmas was in the air, everyone was in a great mood, and time was passing quickly. Julie was really getting excited about going to the Weasleys' for Christmas.

Finally George closed the shop. He closed early, not quite as early as he had planned, but still early enough for the two of them to make it to the Weasleys' in time for Christmas Eve dinner. Neither George nor Julie spoke as they finished up their usual closing activities. When Julie finished cleaning, she went into the back room to get ready to go. She had Apparated to the shop with her two suitcases so that she and George could go straight to the Burrow after work.

"Are you ready?" George asked from behind her, making her jump slightly.

Julie pulled her scarf off the hook on the wall and wrapped it around her neck before pulling her gloves out of her pocket. "Yes, are you?" She studied his face closely.

"Yes." He walked over to his desk and slid a few papers in a drawer, and then picked up his own suitcases. Suddenly he looked up at Julie with one eyebrow raised. "You can stop staring at me. I promise, I'm fine."

"Oh…" Julie blushed and looked away, unsure what to say. She hadn't thought he had noticed her staring. She was just trying to judge whether he was okay or not. Christmas with missing family members or friends was always difficult, and Julie couldn't imagine how hard it would be for George. She put her hood over her head and whispered, "Sorry."

"Don't be." George came over to Julie and pecked her on the cheek. "It's nice to know you care." He grinned down at her. George offered his arm and Julie shifted both suitcases to one hand so she could take it. "Shall we go, milady?" Julie nodded and sucked in a deep breath.

A few seconds later they were standing in the Burrow's back yard. Light filtered from the windows of the house and Julie could see people's silhouettes inside. A smile grew on her lips. She already liked this place. Suddenly George dropped his suitcases and left Julie's side. Surprised, she watched him run away from the house, but she understood when he reached Ginny and picked her up and spun her around. More people came from every direction, all with red hair, and joined the two of them. Soon it was a massive group hug and Julie was grinning widely at the sight.

"Come in, dinner is ready!" Mrs. Weasley had just poked her head out of the door long enough to short to them all. Immediately the group hug broke up, amid laughter and talking, and everyone began to make their way to the house.

"Oh, Dad, I want you to meet Julie." George put his arm around Julie's waist and pulled her gently closer to his side as he spoke, grinning when she blushed lightly.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley," Julie said, holding out her right hand to shake his.

He took her hand and shook it exuberantly. "The pleasure is mine, all mine." He began talking as they all made their way up to the house, but Julie stopped listening almost right away. She didn't mean to be rude, but she was trying to take everything in and then she caught sight of George looking at her and when she looked at him he winked and she lost all track of everything. Julie still got butterflies in her stomach when she was with him.

They entered the warm kitchen, and even more people were inside. Everyone was talking at once and laughing and teasing. It was utter chaos and Julie loved it. George managed to get his mother's attention and introduce Julie to her.

"Glad to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," Julie said, holding out her right hand again.

She wasn't entirely surprised when Mrs. Weasley pulled her into a tight hug. Julie laughed and wrapped her arms around the woman in return. "We don't stand on ceremony here, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, patting Julie's back before letting her go. "We already consider you part of the family. Just make yourself at home."

Julie smiled warmly at Mrs. Weasley and then George took her hand and tugged her toward the stairs. Julie saw that somehow all their suitcases had made it inside – probably with the help of the other redheads outside. She picked up both suitcases in one hand and followed George upstairs. It was a little bit quieter there.

"You'll be sharing a room with Ginny and Hermione, I hope that's okay," George was explaining.

Julie stopped in the hallway and her eyes widened. "Oh no, I didn't get anything for Hermione or Harry! I didn't think of it." She covered her face with the hand that wasn't holding the suitcases and moaned. "I feel horrible. What will I do, George?" She looked up at him and glared when she saw he was laughing.

"Relax, Jules, it isn't the end of the world." He pointed at one of his suitcases, which he had set on the floor. "I brought stuff from both of us. It'll be fine."

"Oh. Okay, then." Julie relaxed and smiled again. "I don't know what I would do without you. Lose my head, no doubt."

"That's what I'm here for," George told her with another laugh. Being with his family seemed to be doing a lot of good for his spirits, Julie thought. He nodded at a door that was closed. "That's the girls' room."

Julie picked up her suitcases and took a step toward the room to put them away before dinner. She stopped and turned to face George. "Where's your room?"

"Oh, our – I mean, my – room is right there." George's shoulder slumped slightly when he pointed to another closed door next to the first one. "Fred and I used to share a room." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, put your stuff in your room and we'll go back downstairs to eat."

Julie set her suitcases just inside the door. She'd put them out of the way later. Before leaving the bedroom, she checked her appearance in a mirror. Once satisfied, she stepped back into the hallway, only to be scooped up into George's arms. She squeezed him tightly in return.

He buried his face in her hair. "I'm glad to be home," George whispered, "but it isn't going to be easy. I'm glad you're here with me."

Julie didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say. Finally she pulled away enough to kiss him on the cheek and whisper, "Me, too."

George turned his head and was just about to kiss her when someone spoke from the stairs, "Okay, guys, enough of that. Let's eat."

Julie, blushing, turned to see Bill's retreating back. She started to pull away from George, but he tugged her back and kissed her before finally letting go so they could go join the family for dinner.


	16. Chapter 16

Christmas Eve dinner with the Weasleys was easily Julie's favorite event of the year. They all crammed into the kitchen with hardly enough room to move around. They laughed and talked loudly throughout dinner, teasing each other and just enjoying themselves. Because of the close quarters, Julie was pressed against George's side through dinner. Even though it made it a little bit harder to eat, Julie didn't mind at all. When she had finished eating, she leaned against George and he put his arm around her.

No one moved from the kitchen for a long time even after they were done eating. No one wanted to leave the warmth and comfort of the room with everyone gathered around. Julie looked around the room at everyone present. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and of course George and herself…all of these people had been through a rough time, without a doubt. But they were still going on with their lives and enjoying the season, despite the pain that Julie knew they must all be feeling in their hearts. She knew because she felt it, too.

Sometime in the course of the evening, Julie drifted off to sleep. She didn't realize it until she slowly awoke to George's hand rubbing her arm gently. Julie opened her eyes and saw that a lot of the others had already left the kitchen, presumably for bed. Julie sat up and, blinking sleepily, looked over at George. "Sorry," she mumbled, managing a little smile. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No problem, that's what I'm here for," George teased. He reached up to brush some hair out of her face. "You look tired."

"I am," Julie admitted. "More than I thought." She yawned, covering her mouth, and cast a glance around the kitchen again. Mr. Weasley and Bill were still sitting in their seats, talking in low voices. Harry and Ron were standing by the counter, finishing up the dishes. Everyone else was gone. "I guess it's pretty late."

"Yeah." George sat up and raised an eyebrow at Julie. "Ready to go to bed?"

"I think that sounds like a great idea." Julie again followed George up the stairs and stopped outside the bedroom door. "Should I bring my suitcases out here so I don't wait the other girls?"

George shook his head, grinning sleepily. "They're probably going to be up for a long time talking. I wouldn't worry about it. You know how girls are."

Julie smacked George lightly on the arm, but laughed. "Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Bright and early. No one sleeps in on Christmas day! By the way, I forgot to tell you, you aren't allowed to get dressed until after breakfast."

Julie raised her eyebrows and smirked. "So, what, I'm supposed to come down to breakfast naked?"

George's jaw dropped and he couldn't think of anything to say for a second. Then he burst out laughing, trying to be quiet so he wouldn't disturb anyone who was sleeping. He shook his head, took a few deep breaths, and whispered, "Julie, you're insane."

"Thank you!"

"I guess that's why I love you." The words came naturally. George didn't even think anything of saying them. He spoke them as if he had said them a million times before.

Maybe that was why Julie didn't think twice before she answered, "I love you, too, George."

Then there was a pause and suddenly it seemed to hit the both of them at the same time. Exactly what they had said and exactly what they had meant struck them simultaneously, and Julie looked up into George's eyes, wondering how much this changed things. She had known for a while that she loved George, and suspected that he loved her. But how did saying the words out loud affect their relationship? Julie wasn't sure. She'd never been in a serious relationship before, and this was definitely uncharted territory.

Maybe something of her nervousness showed on her face, because George whispered, "I mean it, Jules." He gently touched her cheek with his fingertips.

Julie closed her eyes, taking in the moment. She could feel him trembling when he touched her cheek, and Julie wondered if he was really as nervous as she was. "So do I."

George kissed her then, and it was different somehow from the other kisses they had shared. Maybe it only seemed that way because of what they had just said. Julie felt almost shy, as if it were their first kiss all over again. When George pulled away, he continued to stare into her eyes for a long time without saying anything. Julie didn't speak either.

Finally George whispered, almost breathlessly, "I don't know what to say."

Julie couldn't help but smile in amusement. "You don't have to say anything," Julie told him, "I can read your mind."

"Oh really, now?" George raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "What am I thinking right now, then?"

"That I'm insane," she stated confidently, making him laugh again. She smiled up at him and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. "I really do need to go to bed," she whispered regretfully. Julie stepped closer to George and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "This is the best Christmas ever," she whispered so quietly she wasn't sure that he would hear.

George rubbed her back slowly. "I'm glad you're having a good time."

"Your family is made up of some pretty amazing people, I hope you know. I feel like I fit right in."

"That's because you do." George reached down and tilted her chin up so he could look at her. "My family thinks of you as part of the family. And you do fit in here. My mom adores you already."

"Your mom is so sweet." Julie smiled, remembering Mrs. Weasley's immediate welcoming hug. "That must be where you get it."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to brag, but…"

Julie laughed and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, silly."

"Silly?" George pretended to be hurt. "You think I'm silly?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't have you any other way." Julie kissed him and then whispered in his ear, "I love you, George."

"I love you, too," George replied, hugging Julie so tightly she almost couldn't breathe for a minute. Then he pecked her lips once more before turning and disappearing into his bedroom. Julie sighed and entered her bedroom.

Ginny and Hermione were both sitting on their beds and looked up at the door when Julie walked in. Julie looked back and forth from one to the other and wondered if they had heard the whole conversation. She didn't say anything, just smiled at the girls and bent down to open her suitcase, pretending she wasn't blushing. She was thankful when neither of the other girls said anything to indicate they had overheard anything, but started talking about something entirely different while Julie prepared for bed.

Not much later, she was sitting on her own cot and had joined in their conversation. They talked well into the night, despite the fact that they were all tired. By the time they finally decided to go to sleep, Julie felt as though she had been friends with Ginny and Hermione a long time. She liked both of them a lot and thought they would probably be good friends before the end of the holidays.

Julie scooted under the covers and rolled onto her side, facing the wall. Just on the other side of the wall, George was sleeping. Julie smiled and reached her hand out, pressing her palm flat against the cool surface. She felt so close to George, being here with him and his family at Christmas. She really did feel like she belonged here. Julie hoped that Christmas would continue to be a cheerful time for the Weasleys. She knew that George still wasn't always sleeping well. He had his good days and his bad days, just like Julie or any other human being. Julie hoped with all her heart that the next day at least would be a good day for him and his whole family.

For a few minutes Julie thought of how things might be different now if Fred were still alive. She wouldn't be here now, she was sure of that. Chances were she would be all alone at her parents' house, still with her pathetic crush on Fred. Julie was sure she wouldn't be head over heels for George, because she probably wouldn't have gotten as close to him as she had since returning to work at the joke shop. It was strange how things worked out in life sometimes. Bad things happened, but good things did, too.

Julie's thoughts turned to George and she pictured him sleeping just on the other side of the wall. She closed her eyes, smiling, palm still pressed against the wall. She couldn't believe how incredible this Christmas had turned out to be.

She fell asleep with the smile still on her face.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2009 is a great year for all of you.**

George had not been lying when he said that no one slept in on Christmas morning. Someone pounded on the girls' bedroom door early the next morning, and Julie sat bolt upright. It didn't take her more than a second to remember where she was, and she looked around at the other two girls. Ginny was already up. She was standing at the dresser brushing her hair. Hermione looked just as disheveled as Julie thought she did as she stood up and stretched.

"Good morning!" Ginny greeted them both with a grin. "Merry Christmas!"

"Mmmm…" Julie moaned, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Wow, not a morning person?" Ginny asked, not unkindly.

"I'm okay, once I get up and get going," Julie replied, stifling a yawn as she flung the covers off of her. "It's the process of getting up and getting going that's the hardest." The girls laughed and they all hurriedly made themselves presentable before heading downstairs. Julie was wearing comfortable lounge pajamas and she threw on a matching robe. After a turn in front of the mirror with her hairbrush, Julie pulled her Christmas presents out of the suitcase and followed the other girls downstairs to the living room.

George wasn't in the room yet. Julie received a hug from Mrs. Weasley who pointed her to an oversized chair. Everyone else was still in their pajamas, and some, like Harry and Ron, hadn't even brushed their hair. Julie had to grin at the teasing that was going on and the closeness that was shared among the members of this family. A hand on her shoulder made Julie start to turn her head, but a whisper in her ear stilled her.

"Good morning." George's breath was warm against her ear. "How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thanks." Julie turned to face him, still smiling. "You?"

George just nodded before kissing her briefly on the lips. "Merry Christmas." He wasn't smiling, but his eyes sparkled happily. Julie took hold of his arm and tugged him down next to her. The chair was just the right size for the two of them – Julie wondered if Mrs. Weasley had planned that – and Julie snuggled up against George happily.

After Bill and Fleur entered the room, the gift-unwrapping commenced. The room was full of loud talking and laughter while wrapping paper was scattered everywhere and people shouted their thanks. Julie was glad that everyone seemed to like the gifts she had gotten them. George had thoughtfully gotten Harry a box of items from the joke shop and a leather-bound journal and new quill for Hermione and labeled them from both him and Julie. George put on his dragon skin gloves right away and refused to take them off. Julie had decided to wait until later to give him the photograph.

Finally the gifts were all unwrapped. Julie had a sizeable pile even though she hadn't expected anything. George must have told everyone that she was redecorating her house, because most of the gifts she received were things of that nature – towels, curtains, and so on. She was getting more excited about the task now.

The piles of gifts were abandoned when Mrs. Weasley announced it was time for breakfast. Everyone trooped into the kitchen to get their food and some returned to the living room to eat it. Julie sat in the same chair she had occupied earlier, but George sat on the floor by her feet so they could have room to eat. Mrs. Weasley had prepared a feast, but Julie didn't eat a lot at breakfast so she just took a couple of pancakes and a glass of milk.

"After breakfast, we should all go outside and play Quidditch!" Ron exclaimed with his mouth full, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Hermione. He ignored her. "We have so many people; it could be a great game."

Harry and Ginny and George all started talking at the same time, and everyone burst into laughter. They finally worked it all out and when they were finished eating, a lot of now-dressed-and-bundled-up people traipsed outside, still arguing about who would be on whose team. In the end, it was to be Harry, George, and Ginny against Bill, Charlie, Ron, and Hermione.

"You can be on our team," George told Julie, taking her hand and tugging her toward the broom shed.

"Oh, trust me, you don't want that," Julie laughed with a shake of her head. She stopped outside the shed while Bill and Charlie went in to get some brooms out. "I'll just watch."

"But I don't want you to be left out." George was looking at her very seriously. "I want to make sure you're having fun."

"I am having fun, but I might end up killing myself if I try to play Quidditch." Julie patted his arm. "I promise, I am perfectly happy and content to sit and watch." She gently pushed him toward the shed where Bill was standing and waiting for George to take his broom. "Go."

Finally George gave in. Once everyone had a broom who needed one, they made the trek to the Weasleys' makeshift Quidditch field in a nearby orchard. Julie found a comfortable spot to sit on the ground, leaning against the wide trunk of a tree. She was kept well-entertained with the antics of everyone playing, feigning irritation when things didn't go their way. Everyone was a decent Quidditch player, except for Hermione, but she was having fun anyway. Julie barely stopped laughing the whole time.

A while later everyone stopped playing and began the walk back to the Weasleys' house. Julie slipped her hand into George's, unable to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when he gently squeezed her fingers in return.

"Did you have fun?" he asked quietly, apart from the loud, laughing conversation the others were holding.

"Yes, you guys are a riot," Julie answered, laughing again at the memory of their crazy antics.

"Do you not like flying?" George wondered.

Julie's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I'm just absolutely hopeless at Quidditch. I love flying, though!"

An evil look came over George's face and before Julie could asked what he was up to, he had exclaimed, "Good!" Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and grabbed his broomstick. In seconds, Julie found she was seated on the broomstick behind George, soaring high above everyone else.

Julie squealed in surprise and excitement and wrapped her arms around George's waist tightly. He just laughed at her and went faster. They wheeled through the sky so fast that the wind rushing by made it too loud to talk. Julie kept her tight grasp on George and rested her cheek against his back to shield her face from the cold wind. It was a long time before they finally came to a stop in the Weasleys' back yard and climbed off the broom.

"Thanks!" Julie exclaimed. She reached up to try to flatten the hair that had come loose from her braid. "That was so much fun – it's been forever since I've flown, especially that fast. When we were little, Robert used to—" Here she abruptly stopped talking and her hands froze as she fixed her gaze on George. He had his back to Julie to close broom shed door, so Julie couldn't see his face, but he had grown still. "Sorry," Julie murmured. She chewed on her bottom lip, unsure what to do or say now. She sighed and turned to walk back to the house. Julie felt like she had ruined the fun atmosphere of the day just by mentioning her brother's name and she felt awful for it.

It didn't even help her to feel better when George came jogging up behind her and took hold of her hand to walk back to the house with her. He glanced over at her and smiled, but didn't say anything. Julie managed to smile back. She couldn't help but be relieved when they reached the house and the boisterous crowd inside distracted them both.

"Where did you two go off to?" Bill asked as soon as they entered the kitchen. He wiggled his eyebrows at them. "You've been gone a long time."

"Hope you were staying out of trouble," Charlie added, grinning.

Julie blushed slightly, but laughed along with the others. George slipped out of the kitchen wordlessly. Julie watched him go but quickly turned her attention back to the people around her and joined in the conversation and teasing. George hadn't seemed upset with her, but Julie didn't know what was going through his head. She figured they would talk about t later, but she couldn't help wondering.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thank you, chocolategeek, for your review! I like your penname, it reminds me of my sister. Haha...**

**Okay, everyone, tomorrow is my 22nd birthday! *cheers* I'm kind of excited because 22 is one of my favorite numbers, so that means this should be one of the best years ever, right? That's what I'm telling myself anyway. ;-) But, I'm having a little party tomorrow night, so I may or may not update. Just don't hate me if I don't, okay? Thanks! **

Something had woken her up. Julie rolled over, onto her back, and blinked. She had been sleeping soundly. She and the other girls hadn't stayed up nearly as late talking since they were so tired from the night before. Julie turned her head, trying to figure out what it was that had broken through her dreams and made her wake up.

She and George hadn't gotten a chance to talk privately the rest of the day. There were so many people around and so much going on, that they had barely talked at all. Julie was disappointed; she hadn't even given George his second Christmas present yet. They would still be at his parents' house for a week, so Julie knew there was plenty of time, but it still bothered her.

Julie heard something and sat up, pushing her hair back out of her face and staring at the wall between the girls' room and George's. It sounded like George was groaning in pain. Julie assumed that was what had woken her up. Concern filled her, and she silently slid out from under the covers, put on her robe, and left the room. She took the few steps down the hall to George's bedroom door and stood outside it for a few seconds before knocking quietly. There was no response.

"George?" Julie whispered into the crack between the door and the wall. He still didn't answer. She whispered again, "I'm coming in." She slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. She stepped inside the room which was lit by moonlight shining in through the window, closing the door behind her. George was apparently sleeping, but he was tossing and turning. Julie was sure he was having a nightmare and she went to the edge of the bed. "George, wake up," she said quietly. George didn't respond to her voice. Julie put her hand on his shoulder and said more firmly, "George, wake up."

His eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright, making Julie jump and take a step backward. He looked disoriented and frightened, and even though he was looking toward Julie, it seemed more like he was looking through her. He was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" Julie asked almost in a whisper. She reached toward his shoulder, but he moved away from her jerkily, almost as though he were still caught up in his dream. Julie frowned. "It was just a dream, George, you're awake now."

"No…" George frowned deeply and finally focused his gaze on Julie's face. "Don't."

Totally confused, Julie asked, "Don't what? What's wrong?"

Now, it seemed as though George were finally waking up. The frown slid off of his face and he looked around his room. His breathing slowed and he swallowed deeply.

"George?" Julie was waiting for him to say something, but he was sitting there in silence, looking like a frightened little boy.

"Hold me," he whispered.

Julie immediately knelt next to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around him sideways. She was really concerned about him. George had never appeared this vulnerable to her before and she wasn't sure what to think. She reached one hand up to run her fingers through his hair and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm here, George," she said. She didn't know what else to say.

Neither moved for a minute or more, but eventually it dawned on Julie that George was crying. He shoulders were shaking slightly with silent sobs, and she pulled away enough to look at his face. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. Julie was really scared now. She had never seen him cry before.

"George, please tell me what's wrong!" she said urgently, wiping away his tears with one hand.

It was several seconds before he managed a reply. He took a deep breath and then said huskily, "I had a nightmare."

"I thought so. What happened that upset you so much?"

"I…I don't want to tell you."

Julie put her hand on his cheek and firmly turned his head to face her. She leaned forward to kiss his lips softly. "Please. I'm worried about you. Why are you crying?"

"I dreamed about Fred," George said in a flat voice. "And Robert."

"Oh, George," Julie breathed, her heart aching for him.

"And you."

"Me?" Julie's brow furrowed. She could guess what George had been dreaming about Robert and Fred, but what did she have to do with anything.

George nodded and didn't say anything for a minute. Finally he spoke again, in a voice so low Julie could hardly hear him. "Robert killed Fred. And then you were coming…for me."

Julie gasped and pulled back. Her eyes were wide with horror and her hands flew to cover her mouth. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she couldn't move. Tears came to her eyes and she couldn't wipe them away. Finally she shook her head fast and threw her arms around George again. He hadn't stopped crying yet, either. She didn't know how long they sat there crying together before George finally pushed her away gently.

"I'm sorry, Jules, I shouldn't have told you," he said with a heavy sigh. He wiped away his tears, trying to keep more from coming. "I've had nightmares before, but that was the worst by far." George sighed again and closed his eyes. "I just miss him so much sometimes…"

"I know," Julie whispered, reaching out and rubbing his arm comfortingly. "I'm here for you. If you want to talk or be angry or cry or whatever."

"I wasn't going to cry," George laughed bitterly. "I was going to be strong and get through this like a man. But that dream…"

"There's nothing wrong with crying," Julie said firmly. "It's not a sign of weakness or whatever you men think it is. And I'm here for you even when you're crying."

George looked at her mournfully. "I don't deserve you," he muttered.

Julie reached up to caress his cheek. "Regardless of who does or does not deserve whom, I love you and you're stuck with me."

"I'm so glad," George whispered, reaching for Julie. He pulled her into a close embrace, kissing her tenderly. When he pulled away a few moments later he stared into Julie's eyes. "Thank you for coming in to wake me up. I'm sorry I broke down."

"I'm just glad I could be here for you when you needed me," Julie told him, her heart still breaking for the sadness she saw in his eyes. Julie hesitated, biting her bottom lip, and then added slowly, "I have a present for you."

"You already gave me one," George retorted, a slight smile on his lips.

"Another one." Julie didn't know if she should give it to him or not. But she hoped that the picture of him and George smiling and happy would help to erase the memories of his nightmare. "Do you want it now?"

"Right now?" George chuckled. "It's got to be about two in the morning." But then he shrugged. "Sure, I want it now."

Julie returned quietly to the girls' bedroom, pulled the wrapped frame out of her suitcase, and entered George's bedroom again to see him sitting on top of the covers, holding a small box in his hands. George held out his hand, indicating that Julie should sit next to him on the bed again. She did, and handed him the gift. He took it with a smile and Julie watched nervously while he unwrapped it.

George pulled the paper off the frame and held it in his hands, staring at it wordlessly.

"I hope it's okay," Julie whispered, concerned by his silence. "If—"

"It's perfect." George's voice was husky again. He turned his head to face Julie, and he had one single tear coursing down his cheek. "Thank you." He reached for the small box he had set aside on the bed and held it out toward Julie. "For you," he said simply.

"But…you already got me piano music – and I didn't even know you knew that I played!"

"Don't argue, just take it," George commanded with a smile.

Julie did. It wasn't wrapped, so she just opened the box, shooting a quizzical look at George as she did so. Inside the box was a necklace – a silver locket hanging from a matching chain. Julie pulled it out carefully and held it up to see it better. The locket was an oval. On the front was intricately carved her own initials and on the back were George's. Julie looked up at George in awe.

He laughed. "Open it."

Again, Julie did as she was told. Inside, where a picture would normally be, words were carved. She looked closely in the dim light and was barely able to make them out. She read slowly, out loud, to make sure she got them right, "Together forever. My best friend. My love." Julie looked up at George again, tears in her eyes this time. "It's beautiful, George. Thank you so much."

He only smiled. "Now it's late. We should both get back to bed." He stood and held out his hand to help Julie to her feet.

"Will you be able to sleep?" she asked him, concern etched on her face.

"I will now," George whispered back, pulling her close for a goodnight kiss.

It was a couple minutes before Julie crept back into her now cold bed, a locket around her neck and a smile on her face. She fell asleep with her hand pressed to the wall again.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you for not attacking me for not updating yesterday. :-) **

**CHAPTER 19!!!! AAAHHH!!!! I'm so excited. I have the remainder of the story all worked out in my head, it's just a matter of getting it all typed up. Expect to see the end of it by the end of this week! Thanks for reading this far and please continue to enjoy.**

**Thank you to my reviewers, and especially to Citlali Angeni who sent me a birthday PM. You made my day! :-) Thank you sooooo much!**

The week sped by. Julie knew that even though George loved being back with his family for the holidays, it was hard not having Fred there. Three more nights while they were there, Julie crept into his room to wake him from a nightmare, though none were as bad as the one he'd had on Christmas night. Julie wished she could take them away, but all she could do was wake him and sit with him a few minutes until he could sleep again.

The Weasleys and their guests were all invited to a New Year's party at a well-known wizard family's house.

"Mansion, is more like it," Hermione commented while the girls were getting ready on the afternoon of New Year's Eve. "These people are so rich, they could probably buy all of England."

Ginny and Julie laughed at Hermione's exaggeration. The girls were all in their bedroom doing their hair. They already had their dress robes on; everyone would be leaving in about an hour. Julie was looking forward to the party, but she was regretting leaving the Weasleys' house the next evening. She tried not to think about it and just enjoy the time.

Finally everyone was ready and hurried downstairs at the same time. With everyone crammed into the living room, Julie almost felt as though she couldn't breathe, but she couldn't help grinning. She was loving every second of it. Most of them were going to be Apparating, but Ginny hadn't taken her test yet, so she and Harry and Ron and Hermione would travel by Floo Powder. Those who were Apparating trekked out into the yard and within seconds were standing in the front yard of the Woodhouse mansion.

"Wow…" Julie breathed. She'd seen it before, of course, since her family mingled with all the well-known and wealthy wizard families. But every time she saw it, it took Julie's breath away. Tonight was no exception. She slid her hand into George's as they walked up the path toward the massive house, which was decorated in glittering lights. Julie thought they looked like faeries, but she couldn't tell for sure. They were given entrance to the house by a butler who was not nearly as pompous as her aunt's, and soon they were all spread out through the huge rooms, talking and enjoying themselves.

Julie was ecstatic when, about an hour after her arrival, she spotted Louise standing next to Dennis waving to her. Julie let go of George's hand to run toward Louise, engulfing her best friend in a hug.

"Oh, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I've missed you so much!" Julie exclaimed with a laugh.

"It's good to see you," Louise told her warmly when she pulled away. She smiled at George also. "Hello, George."

"Happy New Year, Louise, Dennis," George returned, smiling in amusement at Julie's excitement. He and Dennis were soon absorbed in a conversation of their own, so Julie and Louise settled on a nearby settee to get caught up.

Louise filled Julie in on all the wedding planning that had been going on. There wasn't much, since it had only been a few weeks since Julie had been there, but Julie listened with excitement to everything Louise told her.

"I can't believe it's only three months!" Julie said when Louise stopped talking. "In some ways it seems so long, but I know it'll just fly by."

"You're not kidding," Louise agreed. "I can't believe how fast the time has gone until now!" She glanced over at George and Dennis standing a few feet away, still engrossed in their own discussion. "How are things with George?"

"Amazing," Julie answered, somewhat breathlessly. She blushed slightly. "He invited me to stay with his family over Christmas, and they are just an incredible group of people. They all miss Fred a lot, but they're doing so well." She smiled happily. "And they have all made me feel as though I'm already part of the family."

"'Already'?" Louise asked with a raised eyebrow and a teasing tone. "What do you mean by 'already'? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Julie's blush deepened. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that." She smoothed some imaginary wrinkles on her dress robes. "I just meant…well, I didn't know them all as well I as I knew Fred and George, so it meant a lot to me that they accepted me so readily."

"I know, I'm just teasing," Louise laughed. Then her expression grew serious. "Julie, have you really, seriously thought about your relationship with George?"

Julie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not trying to nag or be nosy, I'm just concerned for you as your friend. Can I be honest with you? I don't want you to get angry." Louise sounded hesitant, but serious.

"Of course, Louise, I always want you to be honest with me. You're my best friend." Julie reached out to touch her shoulder. "I won't get angry. Even if we don't agree, I still want to know what you are thinking."

"Thank you." Louise smiled slightly. "I'm just going to say it then. Are you sure you aren't just redirecting your feelings for Fred to George?" When Julie looked confused, Louise continued in somewhat of a rush. "I mean, I know you were pretty crazy about Fred and…don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure you aren't, well, using George as kind of a substitute since Fred is gone?"

Julie sat in silence, staring at Louise with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, Julie, I didn't want to upset you, but I just want you to think about the possibility before it's too late. You and George have both been through a lot already, maybe you are just using each other for comfort and security." Louise looked distressed. "Please tell me you're not angry."

"I'm not." Julie shook her head slowly. "I guess I don't know what to think. I never thought about it like that before. I would like to say for sure that I'm not, but I feel like, to be fair and honest, I need to give more thought to it before I do." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I never even thought of that. Louise…"

"I'm not saying you have to break it off with him or anything," Louise hurried to say. "You just might want to think about it. I don't want you ending up hurt – or George."

Julie nodded, but didn't have time to speak again because someone she didn't know came to Louise and began talking to her. Julie was glad – this was not a conversation she really wanted to continue. It was bad enough that it had started and that she was thinking about it now. She sat in silence for a long time. Even when Louise stopped talking to her other friend, she only smiled comfortingly and patted Julie's arm before walking away and leaving Julie to her thoughts.

Was that the reason she cared for George? Was she just using him as a substitute for Fred? Julie felt sickened by the idea and was positive she could say no, but she began to wonder. Would she realize it if that's what she was doing? And was George just using her for a sense of comfort and security, like Louise had suggested? Julie could hardly bear to think it. She mulled these thoughts over in her mind until just before midnight, when George sat down next to her.

"You've been very quiet tonight," he told her, a serious look on his face.

"I've been thinking," Julie answered honestly. There was no way she was going to reveal what those thoughts had been.

"I was talking to Dennis." Julie nodded, encouraging him to continue. "He made some…interesting points. I wanted to talk them over with you and see what you thought." George sighed and leaned back against the settee. "He wonders if maybe you and I are just using each other for—"

"Security and comfort," Julie finished the sentence for him. "He and Louise must have talked it over. Louise said the same things to me."

"What do you think?" George asked, looking deep into her eyes as though trying to read her mind.

Julie hesitated. What did she think? She didn't really know. "Honestly…I hadn't thought of it before."

"Me, either."

"But since Louise brought it up, I have been thinking about it a lot. I really do not think that's the case at all, but since she said something it's got me wondering." Julie looked away. "And if that really were the case, then would we even be able to see it? George, I don't want either of us to end up hurt."

"What do you think we should do?" he asked.

"I don't know." Tears stung the back of Julie's eyes. She felt as though she knew exactly what George was going to say. "I just want things to be okay. If we don't make the right decision, we _will_ end up hurt."

George didn't say anything for several seconds, then spoke almost in a whisper. "Maybe we should…take it easy for a while. After we go home, maybe we should not see each other. We would probably be able to think more clearly and look at things more objectively."

The tears were really threatening to fall, now. Julie swallowed and asked in a whisper, "Are you saying we should break up?"

"I…I guess so." George sat up and faced Julie, waiting until she finally looked at him to speak again. "It's not that I want to, Jules, I just think we need to be really careful and think things through really carefully. I think I, at least, need some time. I don't want to hurt you."

"And I don't want to hurt you either." Julie nodded. "Maybe you are right. Maybe we just need some time to ourselves to think things through and get an idea of where we really stand." She couldn't believe she was saying this. But if that was what George thought was the best thing, she would go along with it for now anyway.

George swallowed. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself now. He stood and looked down at her sadly. "I'll miss you, Jules. But this probably really is for the best. And when we've figured things out, no matter what happens, we will always be friends."

Numbly, Julie nodded, and watched George walk slowly away, disappearing into the crowd. Everyone around her yelled "Happy New Year!" at that moment, but she didn't even hear. Her world was crumbling, and she knew this was the worst new year ever.

George had a nightmare that night. Julie could hear him cry out, but she didn't move from her cot. She laid there with her hand pressed against the wall, her tears soaking her pillow. She wondered how much time George needed, because she was pretty sure of her own feelings right now.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I hate to say it, but we're getting close to the end now. Be thinking of ideas...Let me know if you have anything in particular that you'd like me to write about for you. That way I'll have an idea of what people want to read. This story has been so much fun to write! I'm trying to decide what my next one will be - help me out!**

**Thanks to Citlali Angeni for faithfully reviewing! You know how much I appreciate it!**

**And now...back to the drama, drama, drama.... *evil laugh***

Julie thought she would go insane. It had only been a few days, but she had been accustomed to seeing George every day. Now, not seeing him at all, she could see just how much she cared for him and needed him. But he had wanted time, so Julie would respect that and wait for him. She would give him as much time as he needed, she just hoped she would make it that long. She didn't even allow herself to think of the possibility of his never coming back.

She threw herself into her redecorating. Julie enjoyed the task, and it kept her busy and distracted, just as cleaning the house had. She kept in touch with Louise through letters, but never got the chance to see her in person since Louise was so busy with the wedding plans.

It could not have surprised Julie any more when she got a letter from her aunt the next week, inviting Julie to come for tea again. Since their last meeting, Julie hadn't heard a thing from her aunt. She didn't want to go, but she decided that she should, if only to know what her aunt wanted to say. Julie knew there was the possibility that it could be something important. So she wrote a reply, accepting the invitation for a couple days from then, and all too soon she was being let into Lola Winchester's mansion.

The pompous butler led her to the same room she had been before. Julie sat in the same place and was served the same flavor of tea. It all felt too familiar for comfort. The conversation was not the same, however.

"How have things been with you?" Lola asked, sipping delicately at her tea.

"Just fine, thank you," Julie responded. She wondered where her aunt was going with that question – she certainly didn't really care how things had been going. "Happy New Year," Julie added tentatively, trying to think of things to say.

"And to you." Lola set her cup of tea on the table in front of her. "There's a little task that I thought you might be interested in. "

Julie had already begun shaking her head. So her aunt wanted to give her a "task" to do to help promote the cause of the Dark Arts. Well, Julie had had enough of dealing with that. "I'm very busy right now. Someone else might be better suited. I just don't think I have the time."

"I haven't even told you what it is, yet," Lola replied. "You should really consider it."

"I have so much on my plate that I can barely handle it now," Julie insisted. She shook her head again and tried to keep up her façade. "Whatever this task is, I wouldn't be able to do it justice. I'm sure there's someone else who could take care of it much better."

"Well, maybe next time, then." Lola didn't push it. She eyed Julie closely, but she did change the conversation to other things.

.-.-.-.-.-.

George felt like kicking himself. Why in the world had he even suggested that they break up? He stormed around his office almost three weeks after his return from his parents' house. He was going crazy without Julie. Did he ever really think that they needed time apart?

He had been having nightmares every night since New Year's night. George felt so alone when he woke from them, unable to go back to sleep for a long time, if at all. He missed having Julie there to wake him and comfort him. It was such a lonely feeling to know that she wasn't going to come in and make him feel better just by her calm presence.

"I'm an idiot," he mumbled out loud, stopping at his desk and shuffling through some stuff on it without seeing what that stuff was. "George Weasley, you are a complete and total idiot."

When he finally calmed down, George decided that maybe it really had been for the best, after all, that they had decided to not see each other for a while. At least now he understood better how much he cared for Julie and how much he didn't think he could live without her. The problem was that she wasn't around to talk to about it. He had no idea what she might be thinking right now.

He sank down into his desk chair and pulled out a quill. George wasn't much for writing letters, but he decided to write one to Julie. He thought it might be better than showing up on her doorstep begging for her to take him back. At least this way she would have an idea what George was feeling and some time to respond before he really _did_ show up on her doorstep begging.

George sent the letter off and waited impatiently for a reply. He had decided that if he didn't hear from her within a week, he was going to pay Julie a visit.

.-.-.-.-.-.

It had been a few weeks since Julie had gone to her aunt's for tea, and even longer since she had last seen George. She didn't know how much more she could stand. Julie had redecorated the kitchen and dining room so that they were now much brighter, happier rooms. She had decided not to do much to the piano room, just remove the Dark Arts artifacts. Redecorating was something Julie enjoyed doing, but it wasn't keeping her mind off of George as much as she would have liked.

One afternoon, Julie was just looking through the kitchen to figure out what she needed to buy in the way of food, slamming the cabinet doors in her frustration, when the doorbell rang. It made her jump – the ringing echoed through the whole house. She hadn't heard it in so long that she had forgotten how loud it was.

Wondering who on earth it could be, and knowing that she wasn't looking forward to seeing anyone in the foul mood she was in now, Julie peeked through the curtain on the window beside the door. Her heart fell when she saw Lola Winchester standing on her doorstep. What on earth could her aunt want? Julie sighed and opened the door; she wasn't even able to form a greeting before Lola strode inside, looking more agitated than Julie thought had been possible.

"We must talk." Lola stopped and turned to face Julie, who was closing the door. "There is another task that needs to be done, and you can do it."

"No, Aunt Lola," Julie interrupted before her aunt could really get going. "I told you before, I'm so busy already – can't you find someone else to do it?"

"There is no one I trust so much as my own niece," Lola answered, dismissing Julie's protests with a wave of her hand. "And while I admit you may not be as qualified as some, I know that you can improve—"

"No." Julie folded her arms in front of her and frowned. "I'm not going to do it."

"What is wrong with you, child?" Lola said sharply. "I had such high hopes for you. I thought we could count on you. We need you!" Lola glowered at Julie. "Have you been spending too much time with that Muggle-loving friend of yours?"

Something inside Julie snapped and she grew furious. She couldn't bear to hear Lola talk about George with such a tone of disdain. The problem now was that Julie was too angry. She had plenty she wanted to say, but she couldn't think clearly enough to form the words and say it.

Lola understood her expression. "That is just what I thought," she said with a self-satisfied nod. "Didn't I tell you that it is better to avoid certain people?"

"Yes, I believe you did," Julie managed to reply in a low voice, dripping with sarcasm. "But since I am an adult, I decided that I could make my own decisions for my life."

"Perhaps, but you should take advice from those who are wiser and more mature than you are," Lola told her, lifting her chin. Everything about her screamed that she just knew she was superior to Julie in every way. "If you had done as I had told you, then you would be thinking more clearly now and not caught up in his family's Muggle-loving ways."

Julie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lola wasn't finished.

"If I hadn't taken the letter he sent you, you might be in even worse shape than you are now."

"Wait," Julie held up a hand. Her low voice, laced with fury, actually made Lola pause in her rant. "He sent me a letter? And you…you _took it_?"

"It was in your best interest. It's too bad Robert couldn't finish both of them off," Lola shook her head and pursed her lips. "You are entirely too involved."

Julie couldn't see straight. She thought she would explode from the anger built up inside her. If she had had her wand with her, she would have jinxed Lola into oblivion. Instead, she screamed, "Don't you ever say that again! Get out of my house and out of my life! I never want to see you or hear from you!"

Lola looked utterly taken aback, but it didn't stop her from saying cuttingly, "You see, I was right, you _are_ too involved."

Tears of rage were stinging Julie's eyes, but she laughed bitterly. "Too involved? You don't know the half of it. I _love_ him, something you wouldn't understand. I love him with all my heart and I never, ever supported any of you Dark Arts people."

Now Lola looked as though she were angry enough to compete with Julie, but she only said shrewdly, "Well, it's too bad he doesn't feel the same."

This stopped Julie in her tracks. "What?" she gasped.

"That letter? He doesn't feel the same way you do. So you've wasted your love on a Muggle-lover." Lola strode toward the door. "You should have plenty of time _alone_ to reconsider your decision of who to support and who to love." She began to open the door, but only had it open about four inches when Julie spoke again.

"I will never reconsider. I have never reconsidered which side I am on," she said in a low voice. She was fighting hard to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks until after Lola left. Her voice rose and she lifted her chin. "And it's too late to reconsider who to love. I love George Weasley with all my heart and that will never change, no matter what anyone says."

"Even though he doesn't love you?" Lola asked with raised eyebrows. She seemed determined to inflict as much pain on Julie as possible, but Julie wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing it.

Julie only nodded. "Yes. Even then."

Lola didn't speak another word. She stepped outside and slammed the door shut behind her.

Julie crumpled to the ground in tears.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Citlali Angeni, this chapter is for you. Thank you for your quite enthusiastic reviews!!! **

**Enjoy ;-)**

George ignored the hurried thumping of his heart and forced himself to walk up the pathway leading to the house. A cold wind made him shudder, but he kept going. It had been a week since he sent the letter and he hadn't heard from Julie at all. Even though George figured that was as good a rejection as any, he decided that he had to talk to her in person. He wouldn't be totally convinced until he heard it from her own lips that she wanted nothing to do with him.

"In other words, you've got your hopes up," George muttered, climbing the steps onto the front porch. With a sigh, he knocked gently on the front door and waited for some kind of response.

The response he got was not what he expected.

Someone inside the massive house screamed, "Don't you ever say that again! Get out of my house and out of my life! I never want to see you or hear from you!"

George thought it sounded like Julie, but he wasn't sure since he'd never heard her scream like that before. He would have thought that maybe she was talking to him, except for the first part of what she said. Apparently she already had a guest – an unwelcome guest by the sound of it. George debated what to do.

While he stood debating, he heard more shouting and screaming coming from inside the house. It sounded like whoever Julie was screaming back was putting in her own two cents. But Julie was holding her own well enough, so George decided to go. He was just stepping off the porch when the sound of his own name made him stop in his tracks.

"I love George Weasley with all my heart and that will never change, no matter what anyone says."

George stood motionless. He knew without a doubt that was Julie this time. He wasn't sure what to do, but he felt like jumping for joy. He was again distracted by the conversation he was overhearing.

"Even though he doesn't love you?"

_What? Where is this person coming from?_ George thought incredulously, but he waited anxiously for Julie's reply.

"Yes. Even then," she said firmly, and George couldn't keep a wide grin from his face. He stepped onto the bottom step, prepared to knock again, but someone came out of the front door just then and slammed it.

The older woman stopped when she saw George and looked at him as though she were looking at a dead animal. George assumed this was the person who had upset Julie so much, and he began to get angry with her. What right did she have to come in and interfere in Julie's life? The grin disappeared from his face instantly, and he returned her glower with a glare of his own.

"It's you," she said, still with a look of disgust on her face.

"Apparently you know who I am. Who are you?" George asked, not even trying to be polite.

"I am Julie's aunt, Lola Winchester." She sniffed and tilted her chin up so she could look down her nose at George. "I want you and your family to stay away from my niece. You are only upsetting and confusing her. She doesn't even know what she wants anymore."

George strode up the steps and stood close to Lola. Now he was the one looking down at her. He smiled, but it was a cold smile. "I think you are the one who needs to stay away from Julie and stop upsetting her. I don't think she appreciates your interfering in her life. It sounds to me as though she knows exactly what she wants."

"And what is that?" Lola kept up her haughty attitude even though she couldn't look down at George anymore.

George stared at her silently for a few seconds before turning to go into the house. "Me."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Tears streamed down her face and Julie reached up to cover her face with her hands. She was furious with her aunt for coming and saying such horrible things. She was mad at herself for caring too much. And she was brokenhearted that George didn't love her after all. She didn't know how she was going to live. She knew she would make it, but right now Julie couldn't think past this second. The hurt was too much.

Suddenly, she was wrapped in a strong embrace. Startled, Julie looked up and thought maybe she was dreaming when she saw George sitting on the floor with her, holding her and looking down at her with concern.

"George? What are you doing here?" Julie asked in a whisper, between sobs.

In answer, George bent his head to press his lips firmly against hers. When he pulled away, Julie's tears had slowed and she was trying to catch her breath. She was looking up at him in confusion. George shook his head with a sad smile. "Can you ever forgive me? I was such an idiot."

"Of course I can forgive you," Julie whispered. She still wasn't sure why he was here or why he was asking forgiveness. "I guess we just weren't right for each other—"

"Are you crazy?" George asked, eyes wide. "Julie, I love you. I love you so much it hurts to be away from you. These past several weeks have been murder without you. I couldn't stand it anymore, that's why I came to see you."

"You…love me?" Julie was looking up at him incredulously.

"Yes. I love you. And I was an idiot for thinking that there was any possibility that I didn't."

Julie didn't speak.

"Do you want me to say it again? Because if you want me to, I can, I don't mind." George teased. "I love you. I love you. I love you, I love you, I loveyouIloveyouIloveyouI—"

"George!" Julie interrupted, laughing. She put her hand over his mouth to make him be quiet. "I get it. Not that I mind hearing you say it over and over, but I need a turn."

George grinned expectantly. "Well?"

"I love you, George Weasley, with all my heart," Julie whispered seriously.

"I know."

"And if you ever suggest that we be apart for any length of time again, I will absolutely refuse."

"Good!" George kissed her again before helping her stand up. "I saw your aunt."

Julie grew angry again just at the mention of her. "I hope I never see her again. She's horrible. George, she said the most horrible thing—"

"It doesn't matter now," he told her. "I told her to leave you alone. I didn't threaten her, but I think she knows that if she doesn't stay away from you, she'll regret it."

"She said she took a letter you sent, saying that you didn't love me." Julie closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands again. "That was the worst feeling in the world. Thinking you didn't love me. I almost couldn't even think straight anymore. I didn't know what I was going to do. And she told me that I should stay away from you and that I was 'too involved.'" Julie sighed and dropped her hands, looking up at George in distress.

"I think you handled it just fine," George told her, a slightly teasing tone in his voice.

"What?"

"I was standing on the front porch, just outside the door." George motioned toward where he had been standing. "I heard a lot of what was said. Including the part where you proclaimed your undying love for me."

Julie blushed and looked away, mumbling, "I never said 'undying.'"

George laughed and pulled Julie into a tight hug. "Well, I would be most happy to proclaim my undying love for you. Shall we go up to the rooftop?"

"You're crazy." Julie pulled away and smacked George's shoulder lightly. She was still blushing, but she was smiling now. She sighed happily. "You came at just the right time today. You saved me."

"Just returning the favor," George replied, only half joking. He leaned down to kiss her tenderly. "I've missed you so much, Jules."

"I've missed you, too. More than you know," Julie whispered back, reaching up to caress his cheek.

George grinned. "Does that mean you'll come back to work?"


	22. Epilogue

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I read them all, I just don't have time to reply to them all right now! I've been so busy getting ready for school (starting tomorrow!) and I've been kind of overwhelmed. But once I settle into a routine, I think I'll be able to get back to updating every other day or so and reply to your reviews.**

**In the meantime, please keep reading, enjoying, and REVIEWING! :-)**

Julie ignored the butterflies in her stomach – or tried to. She glanced over at Louise enviously. Louise was the picture of serenity. Her face was peaceful and she was smiling slightly. She didn't seem nervous in the slightest. And she was the bride! Julie, who was only the bridesmaid, was a nervous wreck.

"Aren't you supposed to be the nervous one and I'm supposed to be the one calming you down?" Julie asked her, pretending to be grouchy.

"You'll be fine. You look great!" Louise said in response.

"That's not the problem," Julie laughed. "The problem is that I'm the one who's supposed to be saying that to you!" The girls laughed together and waited for their cue to exit the house. Louise and Dennis were getting married in Louise's parents' garden. With the help of a little magic, the plants were in full bloom already and birds were singing happily in the trees.

Finally the music started and Julie took a deep breath. "See you in a few minutes," she whispered to Louise before going through the back door and walking the short way to the entrance of the garden. Julie took in the surroundings as she walked slowly up the pathway to the arch where the vows would be said. Her eyes rested on the arch itself, then slowly travelled to the redhead standing next to the groom.

George was watching her with a serious look on his face, and Julie's heart skipped a beat, but the butterflies disappeared. Julie decided that maybe she was too nervous for butterflies now. She reminded herself to keep breathing, then blushed a little and smiled slightly at him. She didn't look away from him the whole time she walked up to take her place, and was still staring at him through the ceremony. He stared right back. The only time they looked away from each other was when they had to hand over the bride's and groom's rings.

Julie couldn't help daydream through the ceremony. Maybe she and George would be in the same place someday – getting married. She smiled again, and almost as though George knew what she were thinking, he winked at her. Julie's blush deepened, but she had to fight to keep herself from laughing.

Life certainly would never be boring with George around.

.-.-.-.-.-.

George watched Julie approach the archway and swallowed. She looked ethereal in her light blue dress. It was made of some kind of floaty material that made her look as though she were gliding toward him. The color matched her eyes almost perfectly. Her hair was swept up elegantly, with curls cascading down. Her hair was so long that even up like that, the curls brushed her shoulders when she turned her head.

And then she looked at him and George was totally distracted the rest of the ceremony. He almost missed the cue to hand over the ring. He couldn't help but hope that someday soon, he and Julie would be in the same position as Dennis and Louise. When the thought crossed his mind, he winked at Julie, just to make her blush. She looked so cute when she blushed.

Soon the ceremony was over and they were walking back toward the house.

George offered his right arm for Julie to take and grinned down at her. "You look absolutely amazing," he said just loud enough for her to hear.

"Thank you. You do, too," she returned with a smile.

George decided he didn't want to wait as he had planned. "I have a favor to ask." Not until then did he start to get nervous.

Julie blinked up at him in surprise. "Oh?"

"Yes." George reached into his pocket and wrapped his hand around a small object. He took a deep breath and leaned closer so he could talk quieter. "Marry me."

Eyes wide, Julie stopped in her tracks. Since they were still in the middle of the walkway, it wasn't exactly a good thing.

George laughed and tugged her to get her moving again. But he couldn't push back the nervousness that was growing. If she didn't answer right away, did that mean she was going to refuse? He didn't say anything else, waiting for her to say something.

Just before they walked out of the garden gate, Julie said one word. "Yes."

George whooped and pulled her into a tight hug, spinning around, ignoring her laughing protests to put her down. He kissed her and then slipped a ring onto her finger. "It isn't much but—"

"Stop apologizing for this gorgeous ring and kiss me again, you nut," Julie told him, laughing despite the tears in her eyes.

George happily obliged, reminding himself to keep breathing, and thinking as he did that everything suddenly seemed brighter. Colors jumped out at him and the sun seemed to shine brighter. It must have something to do with the girl who was holding him and kissing him, George decided with a smile.


End file.
